RELATION OF SMOKING TO THE INCIDENCE OF AGE-RELATED MACULOPATHY - THEBEAVER-DAM-EYE-STUDY

To date, a number of reports have been published on the relation of ci garette smoking to age-related maculopathy, an important cause of blin dness in the United States. However, few studies have examined the rel ation between smoking and the incidence of age-related maculopathy. In this report, the authors examine this association in persons aged. 43 -86 years (n = 3,583) at baseline who were participants in the baselin e examination and g-year follow-up of the Beaver Dam Eye Study, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin (1988-1990 and 1993-1995), Exposure data on cigarette smoking were obtained from questions about present and past smoking, d uration of smoking, and the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Age-r elated maculopathy status was determined by grading stereoscopic color fundus photographs using the Wisconsin Age-related Maculopathy Gradin g System, After controlling for age, sex, vitamin supplement use, and beer consumption, men who smoked greater amounts of cigarettes were mo re likely to develop early age-related maculopathy (odds ratio (OR) pe r 10 pack-years smoked = 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.13, p = 0.06) than men who had smoked less, This association was not obse rved in women. Men (OR = 3.21, 95% CI 1.09-9.45) and women (OR = 2.20, 95% CI 1.04-4.66) who were current smokers at the time of the baselin e examination had significantly higher odds of developing large drusen (greater than or equal to 250 mu m in diameter) after 5 years than th ose who had never smoked or who quit before the baseline study. Curren t or past history of cigarette smoking was not related to the incidenc e of retinal pigment epithelial depigmentation, The authors conclude t hat smoking appears to be related to the incidence of some lesions ass ociated with early age-related maculopathy.