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Cross-sectional Analysis From the Muenster Aging and Retina Study

Burkhard Dasch, MD, MSE; Andrea Fuhs, MD; Thomas Behrens, MD, MPH; Astrid Meister, MD; Juergen Wellmann, PhD; Manfred Fobker, MD; Daniel Pauleikhoff, MD; Hans-Werner Hense, MD, PhD

Arch Ophthalmol. 2005;123:1501-1506.

Objective  To evaluate recent reports indicating that plasma levels of fibrinogen and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with age-related maculopathy (ARM).

Methods  From the baseline examinations of the Muenster Aging and Retina Study, a cohort of 1060 subjects aged 59 to 82 years was assembled. Of these, 873 persons (82%) with bilateral gradable fundus photographs and complete data on fibrinogen, CRP, and potential confounders were included in a cross-sectional analysis. The main outcome measure was the association among fibrinogen, CRP, and ARM as assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results  Fibrinogen and CRP levels were higher among participants with early and late ARM than among those without ARM. The crude odds ratios for ARM between the highest vs the lowest quartile were 1.90 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-2.80) for fibrinogen and 1.43 (95% CI, 0.97-2.10) for CRP. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, these odds ratios were 1.37 for fibrinogen (95% CI, 0.91-2.06) and 1.12 (95% CI, 0.73-1.73) for CRP.

Conclusions  After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, we found no statistically significant association between fibrogen, CRP, and ARM. Therefore, our results do not indicate a role of systemic inflammation in ARM beyond what is already present owing to concurrent cardiovascular disease.

Author Affiliations: Institutes of Epidemiology and Social Medicine (Drs Dasch, Fuhs, Behrens, Wellmann, and Hense) and Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (Dr Fobker), University of Muenster; and Ophthalmology Department, St Franziskus Hospital (Drs Meister and Pauleikhoff); Muenster, Germany.

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