Changes in lipid metabolism in women with age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of visual loss among people aged 65 and older. At present the origin of AMD still remains unknown. The objective was to evaluate the chosen lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in blood of patients with AMD. Sixty women aged 55 - 71 ( mean age 65.1 +/- 5.7) were treated in the outpatient ophthalmological clinic for more than two years because of AMD. We evaluated total serum cholesterol (TCH), triglycerides (TG), HDL- cholesterol ( HDL), LDL- cholesterol ( LDL), lipoprotein ( a) ( Lp( a)), apolipoprotein AI ( Apo AI) and apolipoprotein B ( Apo B) by direct spectrophotometry ( Human and Randox standard kits, USA). We found a significant increase of TCH, LDL and TG ( 224.36 +/- 41.67 mg/dl, 159.02 +/- 39.66 mg/dl and 120.92 +/- 42.64 mg/dl), and a significant decrease of HDL ( 38.68 +/- 6.36 mg/dl) in the AMD patients when compared with the control group. We have not found a significant difference in the average TG level between the studied groups. The concentration of Apo B was markedly increased ( 164.66 +/- 46.46 mg/dl) and Apo AI concentration was markedly decreased ( 128.9 +/- 17.01 mg/dl) in the AMD patients when compared with the control group. There was no significant difference in the concentration of the Lp( a) between the two groups. The results of our present study could point to the fact that changes in the lipid metabolism could be one of the very important risk factors involved in the pathogenesis of AMD.