Cataract Surgery and the Risk of Developing Late Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Report Number 27.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To evaluate the risk of developing late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) after incident cataract surgery.

DESIGN:

A prospective cohort study within a randomized controlled clinical trial of oral supplementation for the treatment of AMD, the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2).

PARTICIPANTS:

AREDS2 participants aged 50 to 85 years with bilateral large drusen or unilateral late AMD.

METHODS:

In eyes free of cataract surgery and late AMD at baseline, 2 groups were compared for incident late AMD: (1) eyes that received cataract surgery after the baseline visit and before any evidence of late AMD and (2) eyes that remained phakic until study completion. Eyes with at least 2 years of follow-up after cataract surgery were included in the analysis. We used Cox regression models, matched-pairs analysis, and logistic regression models that were adjusted for age, sex, smoking, education, study treatment group, and AMD severity.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Late AMD was defined as the presence of geographic atrophy or neovascular AMD detected on annual stereoscopic fundus photographs or as documented by medical records, including intravitreous injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor medication.

RESULTS:

A total of 1767 eligible eyes (1195 participants) received cataract surgery; 1981 eyes (1524 participants) developed late AMD during a mean (range) follow-up of 9 (1-12) years. The Cox regression model showed no increased risk of developing late AMD after cataract surgery: hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.81-1.13 (P = 0.60) for right eyes and hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.89-1.25 (P = 0.56) for left eyes. Of the matched pairs, late AMD was identified in 408 eyes that received cataract surgery and in 429 phakic controls: odds ratio (OR) 0.92 (95% CI, 0.77-1.10; P = 0.34). The risk of late AMD after cataract surgery from the logistic regression model was not statistically significant (risk ratio, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.56-1.49; P = 0.73).

CONCLUSIONS:

Cataract surgery did not increase the risk of developing late AMD among AREDS2 participants with up to 10 years of follow-up. This study provides data for counseling AMD patients who might benefit from cataract surgery.

• Authors: Sanjeeb Bhandari, Susan Vitale, Elvira Agrón, Traci E Clemons, Emily Y Chew, Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group
• Journal: Ophthalmology (Ophthalmology) Vol. 129 Issue 4 Pg. 414-420 (04 2022) ISSN: 1549-4713 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34793832 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2021 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Angiogenesis Inhibitors
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Topics

• Angiogenesis Inhibitors
• Cataract (epidemiology)
• Disease Progression
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Prospective Studies
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
• Visual Acuity
• Wet Macular Degeneration (diagnosis, epidemiology)