Age-related macular degeneration has significant link with heart failure: Study

Heart failure is one of the most common health problems around the world, owing to its high morbidity and mortality. Lately, the role of microvasculature in Heart failure (HF) has become popular.

Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) is characterized by geographic atrophy or the development of neovascularization. However, there is not much data available on investigations about the association between Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and Heart failure (HF).

A group of researchers from Taiwan performed a study to examine a possible association between Age‐related macular degeneration and increased risk of Heart failure among a large population‐based cohort of men and women.

The researchers conducted a nested case‐control study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database was conducted between 2000 and 2012. A total of 13721 newly diagnosed heart failure cases and 54 884 matched controls from the database were enrolled.

Patients who had ≥2 clinical visits with a diagnosis of Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) at least 1 year before the diagnosis of Heart failure (HF) were identified as patients with AMD.

Conditional logistic regressions were performed to calculate odds ratios and 95% CIs to assess the association between Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and risk of Heart failure (HF).

The results of the study are as follows:

· Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) was associated with a 1.58‐fold increased risk of HF (95% CI, 1.16–1.87) (P<0.001) after adjustment for potential confounders.

· This significant association was evident in both nonexudative and exudative AMD subgroups

The researchers concluded that Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) was associated with an increased risk of Heart Failure (HF). However, further molecular and pathophysiological studies are needed to clarify the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms behind the association of Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) with Heart Failure (HF).

Reference:

A study titled, "Association Between Age‐Related Macular Degeneration and Risk of Heart Failure: A Population‐Based Nested Case‐Control Study" by Chang C et. al published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.120.020071