J Korean Med Sci.  2012 May;27(5):537-541. 10.3346/jkms.2012.27.5.537.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Early-Stage Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Patients Examined at a Health Promotion Center in Korea

• Moon BG
• Joe SG
• Hwang JU
• Kim HK
• Choe J
• Yoon YH

• KMID: 1372797
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2012.27.5.537

Abstract

We evaluated the prevalence and risk factors for early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Koreans 50 yr of age or older who were examined at a single health promotion center. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 10,449 subjects who visited the center over a 6-month period. Fundus photography was performed on all subjects, and systematic risk factor analysis was conducted using a structured questionnaire. All patients (n = 322) were initially diagnosed with drusen or early AMD using fundoscopy; the control group (n = 10,127) were those yielding normal fundoscopy findings. The age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of early AMD was 3.08%. Advanced age, male gender, smoking status, hyperlipidemia, working outdoors, and residence in rural areas were all significantly associated with an increased risk for development of early AMD. Higher-level ingestion of fruit or herbal medication and an increased amount of exercise were associated with a lower risk of early AMD development. In our Korean cohort, consisting principally of relatively healthy, middle-class urban adults, the prevalence of early AMD was 3.08% that is similar to that reported in earlier epidemiological studies. Several modifiable risk factors such as smoking and hyperlipidemia are associated with the prevalence of early AMD in our cohort.

Keyword

Age-Related Macular Degeneration; Gealth Screening Examination; Risk Factors

MeSH Terms

Age Factors
Cohort Studies
Community Health Centers
Female
Humans
Hyperlipidemias/complications
Macular Degeneration/complications/diagnosis/*epidemiology
Male
Middle Aged
Odds Ratio
Prevalence
Questionnaires
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Smoking

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