RISK-FACTORS OF AGE-RELATED MACULOPATHY IN A POPULATION 70 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER

Purpose: To evaluate possible risk factors for age-related maculopathy (ARM) in an epidemiologic cross-sectional population study of inhabit ants 70 years of age or older in a rural area in Oulu County, Northern Finland. Methods: Five hundred of the 560 (89%) eligible subjects wer e examined. The diagnosis of ARM was based on fundus photographs in 83 % of the population or on ophthalmoscopic findings in 13%; in 4%, the fundi could not be seen. Both early and late forms of ARM were include d. Results: The prevalence of ARM increased steadily with age without overall significant difference between men and women. The condition wa s, however, related to high body mass index in men. The ARM appeared t o be also associated with the presence of cataract, broad peripapillar y atrophy, and severe sclerosis of the retinal arteries, but after con trolling for age, these associations were nonsignificant. No associati on was found between ARM and systemic hypertension, diabetes, smoking, working outside, myopia, glaucoma, or the presence of exfoliation. In logistic regression analysis, age was the only statistically signific ant risk factor for ARM in both sexes. In men, a high body mass index also was found to be a predictor for ARM. Conclusions: The presence of ARM was associated with cataract and signs of age-related vascular ch anges in the eyes. Of the general factors, age in both sexes and high body mass index in men were found to be the only predictors of ARM.