IS AGE-RELATED MACULOPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH CATARACTS

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between three types of cataract or cataract surgery and age-related maculopathy. Design: Population-based prevalence study. Participants: A total of 4926 people participating in The Beaver Dam Eye Study from 1988 through 1990. Main Outcome Measures: Grading of photographs for nuclear sclerosis, cortical cataract, and posterior subcapsular cataract and signs of age-related maculopathy was performed using standardized protocols. Results: After adjusting for other risk factors, nuclear sclerosis was associated with increased odds of early age-related maculopathy (odds ratio [OR], 1.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28 to 3.01) but not of late age-related maculopathy (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 0.52 to 3.63). Neither cortical nor posterior subcapsular cataracts were related to age-related maculopathy. There were increased odds of early age-related maculopathy in eyes that had undergone cataract surgery. Conclusion: These data suggest a possible commonly shared pathogenesis between nuclear sclerotic cataract and age-related maculopathy.