Association between classic cardiovascular risk factors and age-related maculopathy (ARM). Results of the baseline examination of the Munster Aging and Retina Study (MARS)

Background. Epidemiological studies have reported inconsistent associations between cardiovascular risk factors and the occurrence of age-related maculopathy (ARM). Methods. In the baseline examination of the Muenster Aging and Retina Study (MARS), we assessed this potential relationship in 1060 subjects who underwent clinical and ophthalmologic examinations. The ARM status was graded according to international standardized classifications. Results. There were 974 eye pairs available for analysis. Smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and a history of myocardial infarction or stroke were found significantly more often in patients with ARM. There were no statistically significant multivariate associations between overweight, diabetes, or a history of myocardial infarction or stroke. Conclusions. Our results confirm previous epidemiological studies pointing to a potential role of atherosclerotic processes in the development of ARM.