Is age-related maculopathy associated with cataracts?

R. Klein, B. E. Klein, Q. Wang and S. E. Moss
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between three types of cataract or cataract surgery and age-related maculopathy. DESIGN: Population-based prevalence study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 4926 people participating in The Beaver Dam Eye Study from 1988 through 1990. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Grading of photographs for nuclear sclerosis, cortical cataract, and posterior subcapsular cataract and signs of age-related maculopathy was performed using standardized protocols. RESULTS: After adjusting for other risk factors, nuclear sclerosis was associated with increased odds of early age-related maculopathy (odds ratio [OR], 1.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28 to 3.01) but not of late age-related maculopathy (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 0.52 to 3.63). Neither cortical nor posterior subcapsular cataracts were related to age-related maculopathy. There were increased odds of early age-related maculopathy in eyes that had undergone cataract surgery. CONCLUSION: These data suggest a possible commonly shared pathogenesis between nuclear sclerotic cataract and age-related maculopathy.

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