Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To investigate whether cataract type and cataract surgery were related to the subsequent incidence of late stages of age-related maculopathy in the Beaver Dam Eye Study, a population-based study of 4,926 persons who were evaluated in 1988-1990, with follow-up examinations in 1993-1995 (n=3,684) and in 1998-2000 (n=2,764). Methods: Presence of cataract surgery, type and severity of lens opacities and of lesions of age-related maculopathy were ascertained from photographs that were taken at each examination of the Beaver Dam Eye Study. We evaluated whether cataract type or cataract surgery was associated with risk of lesions of late age-related maculopathy 10 years later using GEE models. Results: The odds of developing pure geographic atrophy or exudative maculopathy were not significant for any specific cataract type. However, cataract surgery at baseline was associated with development of pure geographic atrophy and exudative maculopathy 10 years later. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for pure geographic atrophy was 2.90 (1.23, 6.83) and it was 4.03 (1.74, 9.31) for exudative maculopathy. Conclusion: Cataract surgery is significantly related to the cumulative incidence of late stages of age-related maculopathy.
Keywords: 308 age-related macular degeneration • 338 cataract