Vitamin D Status and Prevalent Early Age-Related Macular Degeneration in African Americans and Caucasians: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D status has been hypothesized to protect against development of early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) via its anti-inflammatory properties and its possible beneficial influence on blood pressure control. We investigated the association between vitamin D status and prevalent early AMD in a community-based cohort.

DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study.

SETTING: This was a secondary data analysis of already existing data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) cohort collected from 1990 to 1995.

PARTICIPANTS: There were 9,734 (7,779 Caucasians, 1,955 African American) ARIC participants (aged 46 to 70 at visit 2 [1990-1992]) with 25(OH)D data available at visit 2, AMD assessment at visit 3 (1993-1995), and complete covariate data.

MEASUREMENTS: Vitamin D status was assessed with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations from bloods drawn at visit 2. Prevalent, early AMD (n=511) was assessed at visit 3 (1993-95) with nonmydriatic retinal photographs of one randomly chosen eye. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for early AMD by categories of 25(OH)D in nmol/L (deficient

RESULTS: The prevalence of early AMD was 5%, and 5% of participants were vitamin D deficient. The adjusted OR (95% CIs) for early AMD among those with adequate (≥75 nmol/L) compared to deficient (

CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D status was not associated with early AMD in this cohort sample.