Risk factors for age-related macular degeneration

There is an increasing body of evidence as to the risk Factors for age-rela ted macular degeneration. Age and genetic make-up art: the must important r isk factors identified to date. Over the next decade. the different genes t hat are involved in the development of age-related macular degeneration wil l be identified. There is reasonably consistent evidence that smoking cigar ettes results in increased risk of the disease. The question as to whether antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplementation prevents or delays the deve lopment of the disease will be resolved as the results of large ongoing tri als become available in the next few years. Currently. there is conflicting evidence as to their benefits and some indication as to possible harm. Oth er risk factors such as alcohol consumption, oestrogen replacement and life time light exposure require Further study. The study of the epidemiology of age-related macular degeneration would be facilitated by a greater standar dization of methods. Studies with large numbers of late stage disease are n eeded in order to provide the power to investigate moderate risks. This ma) either be achieved by adding on macular degeneration studies to large coho rt studies already in place. or by pooling data from smaller studies. (C) 2 001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.