ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the relationship of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with blood-lipid levels. Methods Individuals 40 years old or older who had undergone a physical-health examination in our hospital between January and December 2017 were enrolled in this study. Information regarding medical history and the results of essential ophthalmological and physical-health examinations were examined to exclude individuals with serious chronic diseases such as malignant tumors, stroke, myocardial infarction, pulmonary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease. One thousand nine individuals with AMD (all at the early stage) were included in the AMD group, and 3489 individuals without AMD were included in the non-AMD group. Data of all participants, including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, were collected and analyzed. Results The average age in the AMD group was higher than that in the non-AMD group, and the male to female ratio was significantly higher in the AMD group (P<0.05). After adjusting for age, gender, and BMI confounders, multiple linear stepwise regression analysis revealed that HDL-C was associated with AMD (β=-0.026, 95% CI: 0.045-0.006, P=0.011); there was no correlation between TC, TG, LDL-C, and AMD (all P>0.05). Conclusion Early stage AMD was related to a decrease in HDL-C, which may be a protective factor against AMD. Further study is warranted to validate this finding.