Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To Describe the five-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the progression of early stages of AMD. Methods: Cluster random sample of 3271 participants aged 40 years and older were participated at baseline examination from 1992-94. Follow-up examination was conducted from 1997-1999. The presence of AMD lesions was graded from colour stereo fundus photographs as well as slit-lamp stereo biomicroscopy according to the International Classification and Grading System. Results: The overall cumulative five-year incidence of late AMD was 0.8% (95% CI=0.33,1.3) and early AMD was 17.3% (95% CI=8.7, 26). The incidence of AMD increases with age (p<0.001). The five-year incidence of soft distinct drusen was 6.1% (95%CI= 4.0, 8.1), soft indistinct drusen was 4.3% (95% CI=2.3, 6.3), hypopigmentaion was 12.9% (95% CI=5, 20.8) and hyperpigmentaion was 10.8% (95% CI=4.2, 17.5). People with soft indistict drusen with pigmentary abnormalities had a higher risk of developing either neovascular or atrophic AMD over a five-year period. Conclusion:These data suggest that one in five person aged 80 year and older will develop AMD over a five-year period. Presence of soft indistict drusen with pigmentary abnormalities had a significantly increased risk for developing late stages of AMD Acknowledgements:National Health and Medical Research Council, the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, the estate of the late Dorothy Edols, the Ansell Ophthalmology Foundation, the Jack Brockhoff Foundation, the Eye Ear Nose and Throat Research Institute, and the Ian Potter Foundation. Dr. McCarty was the recipient of the Wagstaff Research Fellowship in Ophthalmology from the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Baseline retinal photographs were graded by Associate Professor Paul Mitchell and Dr. Jie Jin Wang from the University of Sydney.
Keywords: 354 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence • 308 age-related macular degeneration