Abstract
Purpose :
Sex hormones in Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have received particular attention, and sex-related differences in AMD prevalence have been noted. We performed retrospective observational case-control study to investigate the relationship between sex hormone deficiency and soft drusen.
Methods :
Setting: Institutional. Population: Three hundred five subjects (male 185, female 120). Observations: Fundus photographs and medical records were reviewed including menopause, its duration and follicular stimulating hormone level in women, and concentrations of testosterone and free testosterone in men. Based on soft drusen in fundus photograph, subjects were divided into the drusen group and the control. Drusen area was measured using the ImageJ™ software program. Main outcome measures: Relationship between sex hormone deficiency and soft drusen.
Results :
Seventy-four subjects (24.6%) had soft drusen (43 men, 31 women). The drusen group had a significantly higher age than the control group (58.7 vs. 55.4 years; P = .007). Those subjects with a history of smoking had a larger drusen area (P = .006). In women, the drusen group had a higher age (P = .005) and was more deficient in sex hormone (P = .003). Logistic regression analysis revealed that aging was the only risk factor for drusen in all subjects (P = .008; OR, 1.041; 95% CI, 1.011 to 1.072). In women, sex hormone deficiency (P = .011; OR, 3.496; 95% CI, 1.336 to 9.143) was also a risk factor for drusen.
Conclusions :
Aging is a risk factor of drusen. Smoking is associated with drusen severity. In women, sex hormone deficiency is also a potent risk factor.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.