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The relationship between birthweight and early age-related maculopathy: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Liew, G; Wang, JJ; Klein, R; Duncan, BB; Brancati, F; Yeh, H-C; Wong, TY
Published in: Ophthalmic Epidemiol
2008

PURPOSE: Birthweight is a marker of fetal growth, and has been linked to future risk of chronic diseases in adults. We examined the association between birthweight and age-related maculopathy (ARM). METHODS: We studied 9730 adults from the population-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, of whom 4744 reported their exact birthweight and an additional 4986 provided categorical birthweight data (low, medium or high). We graded retinal photographs for presence of ARM using a modification of the Wisconsin ARM Grading System. RESULTS: Early ARM was present in 479 (4.9%) adults. Among persons with exact birthweight data, there was no association between birthweight and early ARM (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.9-1.3, for each kg increase in birthweight). However, in Whites, greater birthweight was associated with an increased risk of early ARM (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.4, for each kilogram increase in birthweight), after adjustment for age, sex, smoking, blood pressure and education level. In analyses including additional participants who provided categorical birthweight data, the pattern of associations were similar but not statistically significant. We did not have sufficient numbers to examine associations for late ARM (n = 12) or in African-Americans separately. CONCLUSIONS: We found no association between birthweight and risk of early ARM in the whole population. Among the white participants, higher birthweight was associated with a slight increased risk of early ARM. These findings, if confirmed in other studies, suggest that fetal growth may be important in ARM development in white persons.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Ophthalmic Epidemiol

DOI

EISSN

1744-5086

Publication Date

2008

Volume

15

Issue

1

Start / End Page

56 / 61

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Risk Factors
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Macular Degeneration
  • Humans
  • Fetal Development
  • Female
  • Epidemiology
  • Educational Status
 

Citation

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Liew, G., Wang, J. J., Klein, R., Duncan, B. B., Brancati, F., Yeh, H.-C., & Wong, T. Y. (2008). The relationship between birthweight and early age-related maculopathy: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Ophthalmic Epidemiol, 15(1), 56–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/09286580701613769
Liew, Gerald, Jie Jin Wang, Ronald Klein, Bruce B. Duncan, Frederick Brancati, Hsin-Chieh Yeh, and Tien Y. Wong. “The relationship between birthweight and early age-related maculopathy: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study.Ophthalmic Epidemiol 15, no. 1 (2008): 56–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/09286580701613769.
Liew G, Wang JJ, Klein R, Duncan BB, Brancati F, Yeh H-C, et al. The relationship between birthweight and early age-related maculopathy: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2008;15(1):56–61.
Liew, Gerald, et al. “The relationship between birthweight and early age-related maculopathy: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study.Ophthalmic Epidemiol, vol. 15, no. 1, 2008, pp. 56–61. Pubmed, doi:10.1080/09286580701613769.
Liew G, Wang JJ, Klein R, Duncan BB, Brancati F, Yeh H-C, Wong TY. The relationship between birthweight and early age-related maculopathy: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2008;15(1):56–61.

Published In

Ophthalmic Epidemiol

DOI

EISSN

1744-5086

Publication Date

2008

Volume

15

Issue

1

Start / End Page

56 / 61

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Risk Factors
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Macular Degeneration
  • Humans
  • Fetal Development
  • Female
  • Epidemiology
  • Educational Status