Do All Individuals With a Family History of Age–Related Maculopathy (ARM) Develop Age–Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) if They Live to be 100 Years Old?

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To establish if all persons with a family history of ARM develop AMD if they live long enough. Methods: The study includes 897 persons aged 75–102 years with ARM/AMD who had at least one relative within six meiosis (2^nd cousin) with ARM/AMD in one or both eyes. It also includes 302 unaffected relatives. The study group comprises 8% of all persons 75 years and older in Iceland, 16% of all 90 years and older, and 31% of all 100 years and older. Mean age of participants was 84 years and the gender distribution was 37% men and 63% women. Color fundus photographs were graded in a masked fashion according to the International Classification of AMD. Results: The relative number of ARM/AMD cases in one or both eyes increased with increasing age (58% of 75–79 years; 82% of 80 years and older; thereof all persons 100 years and older (n=8)). Moreover, with increasing age relatively more eyes of those that were affected with the disease had AMD (41% of left eyes in the age group 75–79 years; 58% of left eyes of persons 80 years and older; thereof all left eyes in persons 100 years and older). Conclusions: With increasing age, relatively more persons with family history of ARM/AMD will develop the disease and relatively more will reach the advanced state of the disease. All persons 100 years of age and older in the study group had developed AMD.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • aging