Abstract
Purpose :
Purpose: To determine if participants who have risk alleles that predispose them to a higher risk of developing late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have lower odds of developing AMD if they consume higher intakes of various nutrients.
Methods :
Methods: A baseline dietary questionnaire evaluated the food intake of participants of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. We examined the effect of these nutrients: DHA, EPA, lutein/zeaxanthin, zinc, vitamin C and β-carotene. Using proportional hazards regression adjusted for age, sex, calorie-intake and smoking status, we calculated the hazard ratio for the development of late AMD (central geographic atrophy or neovascular AMD) for each tertile of nutrient intake. Only participants with intermediate AMD or late AMD in one eye at baseline and with at least 1 risk allele of CFH (rs1061170) or ARMS2 (rs10490924) were included. CFH and ARMS2 were analyzed separately. AMD was evaluated in either eye and for participants with unilateral late AMD at baseline we used the fellow eye.
Results :
Results: The number of participants with at least 1 risk allele was 1142 for CFH and 874 for ARMS2 with 486 (43%) and 238 (27%) having 2 risk alleles for CFH and ARMS2, respectively. The table shows the percentage of participants developing late AMD in tertiles 1 and 3 of each nutrient and the hazard ratios comparing tertile 3 to tertile 1. Those with at least 1 risk allele for CFH in the 3rd tertile lutein/zeaxanthin, vitamin C and β-carotene had significantly lower odds of AMD than those in the 1st tertile (P<.03). Those with at least 1 risk allele for ARMS2 in the 3rd tertile of lutein/zeaxanthin and β-carotene had lower odds of AMD (P<.04).
Conclusions :
Conclusions: Even with increased genetic risk, increased dietary intake of nutrients previously identified to be associated with AMD may be associated with lower odds of developing AMD.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.