3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme a reductase inhibitors and the presence of age-related macular degeneration in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Pubmed ID: 16401782

Journal: Archives of ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960)

Publication Date: Jan. 1, 2006

Affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Suite 609, 700 S. 18th Street, Birmingham, AL 35294-0009, USA. mcgwin@uab.edu

MeSH Terms: Humans, Male, Female, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cardiovascular Diseases, Case-Control Studies, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Hypercholesterolemia, Macular Degeneration, Multicenter Studies as Topic, Odds Ratio, Risk Factors, United States

Grants: R21 EY 14071

Authors: McGwin G, Modjarrad K, Hall TA, Xie A, Owsley C

Cite As: McGwin G Jr, Modjarrad K, Hall TA, Xie A, Owsley C. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme a reductase inhibitors and the presence of age-related macular degeneration in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Arch Ophthalmol 2006 Jan;124(1):33-7.

Studies:

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate both the use of cholesterol-lowering medications as a group and the use of statins specifically with regard to the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: A case-control study was conducted using data from the Cardiovascular Health Study, a population-based prospective study of adults enrolled from 4 communities in the United States in 1989 and 1990. Individuals with AMD (cases) and those without AMD (controls) were compared with regard to their use of cholesterol-lowering medications and statins. RESULTS: Nearly equal proportions of cases and controls used cholesterol-lowering medications, both before adjustment (odds ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-1.21) and after adjustment for selected confounding variables (age, sex, and race) (odds ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 0.98-1.87). Statin use was also found to be similar among cases and controls (odds ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.73-1.30). After controlling for the aforementioned 3 confounders (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.99-1.98), we noted a modest trend for statin users to have an increased risk of AMD. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that no association exists between having used cholesterol-lowering medications and AMD. However, there was a suggestion that statin use might increase the risk of AMD.