The Three-Year Incidence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The “Pathologies Oculaires Liées à l’Age” (POLA) Prospective Study

• Published in: American journal of ophthalmology Vol. 140; no. 5; pp. 924 - 926
• Main Authors: Delcourt, Cécile, Lacroux, Annie, Carrière, Isabelle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.11.2005; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Biological and medical sciences; Confidence intervals; Female; France - epidemiology; Humans; Incidence; Macular degeneration; Macular Degeneration - classification; Macular Degeneration - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Older people; Ophthalmology; Prospective Studies; France; Macular degeneration; Prospective; Anatomic pathology; Ophthalmology; Age; Incidence
• ISSN: 0002-9394; 1879-1891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2005.05.002

To assess the 3-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a French population. The “Pathologies Oculaires Liées à l’Age” (POLA) Study, a population-based prospective cohort study. Retinal photographs were graded according to the international classification. Early age-related maculopathy (ARM) was defined by the presence of (1) soft indistinct drusen (>125 μm) and/or (2) soft distinct drusen (>125 μm) associated with pigmentary abnormalities. The 3-year incidence of AMD was 0.49% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13 to 0.85) and increased significantly with age, reaching 3.41% (95% CI: 0 to 7.2) in participants aged 80 years or more. After adjustment for age, eyes with early ARM at baseline were 78 times more at risk of developing AMD than eyes without early ARM (OR = 78.4, 95% CI: 14.6 to 420.1). This study confirms that AMD develops mainly in subjects aged 80 years or older, and in subjects with early ARM.