Iris colour, ethnic origin and progression of age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the relationship between iris colour, ethnic origin and the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: Participants were recruited from the population-based Melbourne Visual Impairment Project or the prospective, randomized, double-masked Vitamin E, Cataract and Age-Related Macular Degeneration study. From these two cohorts, 171 participants aged between 52 and 93 years who were identified as having early AMD features at their baseline examination (1992-1995) were followed for an average of 6.8 years (until 2001) to determine the progression rate of early AMD. The participants' iris colour was categorized as light, intermediate or dark, Ethnic origin ..