Prospective study of alcohol consumption and the risk of age-related macular degeneration

Objective: To describe the relationship between alcohol consumption and the incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: We conducted a prospective study among female nurses between 1980 and 1994 and among male health professionals between 1986 and 1994. We incl uded 32 764 women and 29 488 men who were 50 years or older, without a diag nosis of AMD or cancer at baseline, and added additional subjects to the an alysis as they reached 50 years of age. Their alcohol intake was assessed a t baseline and updated during follow-up evaluations using a validated semiq uantitative food-frequency questionnaire. After separate analyses for women and men, pooled estimates of the relationship of alcohol to the risk of AM D were calculated. Results: Age-related macular degeneration associated with a visual acuity l oss of 20/30 or worse, including the early and dry and wet types was diagno sed in 298 women (from 697 498 person-years of follow-up) and 153 men (229 180 person-years) by 1994, the end of follow-up. After controlling for age, smoking, and other risk factors, the pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% c onfidence intervals (CIs) for AMD compared with nondrinkers were 1.0 (0.7-2 .2) for drinkers who consumed 0.1 to 4.9 dd of alcohol; 0.9 (0.6-1.4) for 5 to 14.9 gid; 1.1 (0.7-1.7) for 15 to 29.9 g/d; and 1.3 (0.9-1.8) for 30 g/ d or more. Among women, there was a suggestion of a modest increased risk o f the disease in drinkers who consumed 30 g/d or more (RR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0 -2.4); this was limited to an increased risk of the early and dry form (RR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.4). No specific type of alcohol provided protection aga inst AMD. Conclusion: This prospective study does not support an inverse relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and risk of AMD.