FEATURES OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION IN A BLACK-POPULATION

Objective: To report on the frequency of features of age-related macul ar degeneration in a black population based on fundus photograph gradi ngs. Design: Population-based study. Setting: Barbados, West Indies. S tudy Population: Residents of Barbados, selected by a random sample of Barbados-born citizens, aged 40 to 84 years. Main Outcome Measure: Gr adings from 30 degrees stereoscopic macular photographs. Results: Blac k participants (n=3444) completed examinations at the study site and h ad gradable macular photographs in both eyes. Drusen larger than 63 mu m occurred with comparable frequency in men and women. The frequency of small drusen decreased with age, while medium and large drusen were more common in older participants. Frequencies of all age-related mac ular degeneration-related characteristics were similar for men and wom en except for small drusen, which occurred more commonly in women. Con fluent drusen and pigment atrophy also increased significantly with ag e. Exudative features occurred in 0.5% of the participants. Conclusion s: This study provides population-based data on the frequency of featu res of age-related macular degeneration based on photographic gradings of a black population. Features of early age-related macular degenera tion were common, but appeared at a lower frequency than has been repo rted for white populations. Exudative disease was infrequent, occurrin g in about one of 200 participants.