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Association between asymmetry in cataract and asymmetry in age-related macular degeneration. The Beijing Eye Study

  • Retinal Disorders
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Abstract

Background

To examine in an intra-individual comparison whether cataract is associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods

The population-based Beijing Eye Study included 4,439 subjects (age: 40+ years) out of 5,324 subjects invited to be examined. Using lens and fundus photographs, the amount of AMD was graded according to the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading system and the degree of cataract was graded using the system of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study.

Results

Photographs with sufficient quality for bilateral examination of the lens and macula were available for 3,826 (86.2%) participants with a mean age of 55.3 ± 10.0 years (range: 40–90 years) and a mean refractive error of −0.38 ± 2.18 diopters (range: −20.13 diopters to +7.50 diopters). The side difference in presence of early AMD and late AMD respectively was not significantly associated with the inter-eye difference in the amount of nuclear cataract [P = 0.27 and P = 0.28 (r = 0.02) respectively), amount of cortical cataract (P = 0.12 and P = 0.05 respectively), and amount of subcapsular posterior cataract (P = 0.91 and P = 0.85 respectively). In a similar manner, the side difference in the presence of early AMD and late AMD was not significantly associated with the inter-eye difference in the presence of nuclear cataract (P = 0.99 and P = 0.99 respectively), cortical cataract (P = 0.25 and P = 1.00 respectively), and subcapsular posterior cataract (P = 0.59 and P = 0.05 respectively). The side difference in the number of macular drusen was not significantly associated with the inter-eye difference in the amount of nuclear cataract (P = 0.74), amount of cortical cataract (P = 0.19) and amount of subcapsular posterior cataract (P = 0.88). As a corollary, unilateral pseudophakia or aphakia was not significantly associated with inter-eye differences in the count (P = 0.59) of drusen, and overall presence of early AMD (P = 0.99) or late AMD (P = 0.99).

Conclusions

In an intra-individual, inter-eye comparison, avoiding interdependencies of systemic parameters, inter-eye difference was not significantly associated with any characteristics of age-related macular degeneration in either any type of cataract or in pseudophakia. This suggests that the development of cataract or cataract surgery did not markedly influence the development of age-related macular degeneration.

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Acknowledgment

Supported by Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation and Bureau of International Cooperation, Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital University of Medical Science, 17 Hougou Lane, Chong Wen Men, 100005, Beijing, China

    Liang Xu, Qi Sheng You, Tongtong Cui & Jost B. Jonas

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    Jost B. Jonas

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  1. Liang Xu
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  2. Qi Sheng You
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  3. Tongtong Cui
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  4. Jost B. Jonas
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Correspondence to Liang Xu or Jost B. Jonas.

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Xu, L., Sheng You, Q., Cui, T. et al. Association between asymmetry in cataract and asymmetry in age-related macular degeneration. The Beijing Eye Study. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 249, 981–985 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-010-1571-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-010-1571-y

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