Macular degeneration and early menopause: a case-control study

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Abstract
Data were obtained from the Rotterdam study.2 All women aged 55 years and over who were resident in the suburb of Ommoord in Rotterdam were invited for the study. The response rate was 78% (4616/5918). Macular degeneration was considered to be present if either atrophic or neovascular age related macular degeneration was visible on colour pictures of the fundus. Age at and type of menopause were self reported and checked by a study physician. The cause of menopause was classified as natural hysterectomy, removal of one or both ovaries with or without hysterectomy, radiotherapy, or drug treatment. Overall, 3680 women (80%) had gradable fundus photographs of at least one eye and complete data on the menopause. Macular degeneration was present in 59 women (1.6%). We matched each case with five controls born in the same year who did not have macular degeneration, resulting in 295 controls. We calculated relative risks with 95% confidence intervals using conditional logistic regression analysis.