Prevalence of age–related maculopathy in the EUREYE study

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To estimate the prevalence of age related maculopathy in an older population from 7 European countries Methods: Randomly sampled people aged 65 and over were invited to an eye examination and risk factor assessment in seven centres across Europe(Norway, Estonia, UK, France, Italy, Greece and Spain). Two non–simultaneous 35⁰stereoscopic colour fundus images centred were taken for each eye and graded at a single reading centre by the International ARM Epidemiological Study Group classification using grading in the worst eye. Overall, age and sex specific rates were calculated for stage of ARM with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) calculated for clustered data. Multinomial modelling was used to assess the associations (relative risk ratio, RRR) of gender with stage of ARM. Results: 4760 people (2142 men and 2618 women) (50% response rate) had gradeable fundus images. The % prevalences (95% CIs) were : Stage 0 : 47.6, (43.6 to 51.6), Stage 1 :36.5 (32.9 to 40.3), Stage 2: 10.2 (9.0 to11.5), Stage 3: 2.5 (1.9 to 3.2), Stage 4 (AMD) :3.3 (2.6 to 4.2). Prevalence of Stages 2, 3 and, especially, of stage 4 (AMD) rose steeply with age. The age specific prevalences of AMD were 65–69: 1.0 (0.6 to 1.7), 70–74: 2.2 (1.5 to 3.3), 75–79: 3.6 (2.5 to 5.1), 80+: 12.1(8.3 to 17.3). Compared to men, age adjusted prevalences were lower for women for Stage 2, RRR = 0.77 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.87) p=0.002 and higher for AMD, RRR= 1.40 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.86) p=0.03. After adjustment for smoking, the RRRs for women for stage 2 were unchanged while for AMD the RRR increased to 1.89 (1.55 to 2.30) p=0.0001. Conclusions:The prevalence of age related maculopathy in the EUREYE study is of a similar magnitude to other population based studies in western populations. This study also found an excess of AMD in women observed in some, but not all studies.

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