HYPEROPIA AND NEOVASCULARIZATION IN AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Purpose: Refractive errors for phakic eyes of patients referred with a ge-related macular degeneration were reviewed to determine whether som e range of refractive error might be a risk factor for the neovascular form. Methods: The authors compared refractive errors of 198 patients with unilateral neovascular disease with refractive errors of 129 pat ients with bilateral dry disease. These groups had comparable distribu tions with respect to age, sex, and visual acuity of their better eyes . Student's t tests and multiple linear regression analyses were perfo rmed to assess group differences in mean refractive error. Contingency table and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to det ermine odds ratios for having the neovascular form based on a stratifi cation of refractive error. Results: By comparing better eyes of the t wo groups, patients with the unilateral neovascular form had an averag e spherical equivalent that was 1.0 diopter (D) more hyperopic than th at of patients with the bilateral dry form (P < 0.001). Patients with a refractive error of +0.75 D or greater were more likely to have the neovascular form compared with patients with other refractive errors ( odds ratio, 2.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.53-3.78; P < 0.001). Simi lar relationships between the two groups of patients were found by com paring worse eyes. Conclusion: These findings suggest that hyperopia i s a risk factor for choroidal neovascularization among patients referr ed with age-related macular degeneration.