May 2007
Volume 48, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   May 2007
Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Among Patients With Alzheimer's Disease
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • A. Baumritter
    Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • C. M. Clark
    Neurology, Penn Memory Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • R. Martin
    Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • J. D. Steinberg
    Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • R. A. Stoltz
    Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • G.-S. Ying
    Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • M. Brightwell-Arnold
    Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • M. G. Maguire
    Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships A. Baumritter, None; C.M. Clark, None; R. Martin, None; J.D. Steinberg, None; R.A. Stoltz, None; G. Ying, None; M. Brightwell-Arnold, None; M.G. Maguire, None.
  • Footnotes
    Support None.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science May 2007, Vol.48, 2092. doi:
  • Views
  • Share
  • Tools
    • Alerts
      ×
      This feature is available to authenticated users only.
      Sign In or Create an Account ×
    • Get Citation

      A. Baumritter, C. M. Clark, R. Martin, J. D. Steinberg, R. A. Stoltz, G.-S. Ying, M. Brightwell-Arnold, M. G. Maguire; Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Among Patients With Alzheimer's Disease. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2007;48(13):2092.

      Download citation file:


      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

      ×
  • Supplements
Abstract

Purpose:: To estimate the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and compare it to estimates for the general US population.

Methods:: Fifty-nine of 194 patients with a diagnosis of probable AD receiving care at the PENN Memory Center (PMC) at the University of Pennsylvania were recruited into this cross-sectional pilot study. After pupil dilation, fundus photographs of each eye were taken by certified fundus photographers. Trained graders at the Scheie Image Reading Center, University of Pennsylvania evaluated photographs using the International Classification and Grading System for Age-Related Maculopathy as the basis for the grading of drusen and late AMD. Early AMD was defined as 1 or more large (>125µ) drusen in one or both eyes. Late AMD was defined as presence of choroidal neovascularization or geographic atrophy in one or both eyes. The observed numbers of both early and late AMD were compared to their expected numbers based on US age-sex-race specific prevalence rates. The standardized ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated by using the Confidence Interval Analysis (CIA) software {version 2.1.}.

Results:: Among 51 (86%) of 59 patients with gradeable photographs for at least one eye, 30 (59%) were female, 40 (78%) were white, and the mean age was 75 years with a range 52-91 years.Five (10%) of 51 had late AMD. The standardized ratio of late AMD prevalence in AD patients was 1.93 (0.63 - 4.49). Of the remaining 46 patients, 14 (30%) had early AMD with large drusen present in at least one eye. The standardized ratio of early AMD prevalence in AD patients was 2.15 (1.18 - 3.61).

Conclusions:: Within this group of patients with AD, prevalence of early AMD was higher than expected from prevalence rates for the US population. These results are consistent with laboratory reports of amyloid ß present in both drusen and AD plaques that suggest that AMD and AD share some pathogenic pathways.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence • pathobiology 
×
×

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

Sign in or purchase a subscription to access this content. ×

You must be signed into an individual account to use this feature.

×