A new study evaluated the relationship between statin use and the age of onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) at 2 large medical centers in California.

Researches screened the electronic health records of 62,817 patients for AMD; 52,840 patients had been evaluated at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Ophthalmology Clinics and 9,977 patients at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Ophthalmology Clinics. The investigators explored the effects of the following covariates on development of AMD: sex, ethnicity, smoking history, fluoxetine use, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.

Of the patients, who was evaluated, 5,498 were diagnosed with AMD. The analysis indicated that statin use was associated with a later onset of AMD, and female sex: obesity and fluoxetine use with earlier onset of AMD onset. When data were stratified for ethnicity, statins, fluoxetine, sex, and obesity were significant only within non-Hispanic white subjects. Statin use was significantly higher among patients with dry AMD compared with wet AMD (HR, 0.9188; P = 0.0351).

In both cohorts, the study concluded, the use of statins and non-Hispanic black ethnicity were associated with a later onset of AMD, and obesity was associated with an earlier onset of AMD onset.

More details https://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/view/factors-affecting-the-age-of-onset-of-age-related-macular-edema-amd-