Macular pigment and risk for age-related macular degeneration in subjects from a Northern European population

PURPOSE. Age and advanced disease in the fellow eye are the two most import ant risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In this study, the authors investigated the relationship between these variables and the optical density of macular pigment (MP) in. a group of subjects from a nort hern European population. METHODs. The optical density of MP was measured psychophysically in 46 subj ects ranging in age from 21 to 81 years with healthy maculae and in 9 healt hy eyes known to be at high-risk of AMD because of advanced disease in the fellow eye. Each eye in the latter group was matched with a control eye on the basis of variables believed to be associated with the optical density o f MP (iris color, gender, smoking habits, age, and lens density). RESULTS. There was an age-related decline in the optical density of macular pigment among volunteers with no ocular disease (right eye: r(2) = 0.29, P = 0.0006; left eye: r(2) = 0.29, P < 0.0001). Healthy eyes predisposed to AMD had significantly less MP than healthy eyes at no such risk (Wilcoxon's signed rank test: P = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS. The two most important risk factors for AMD are associated wit h a relative absence of MP. These findings are consistent with the hypothes is that supplemental lutein and zeaxanthin may delay, avert, or modify the course of this disease.