Lactation, female hormones and age-related macular degeneration:the Tromsø Study

OBJECTIVE: Some risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have been shown to act differently in women and men. The present study aims to investigate this disparity by examining associations between female hormones, reproductive history and AMD. METHODS: Women aged 65-87 years were invi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British Journal of Ophthalmology
Main Authors: Erke, Maja G, Bertelsen, Geir, Peto, Tunde, Sjølie, Anne K, Lindekleiv, Haakon, Njølstad, Inger
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2013
Subjects:
Aged
80 and over
Breast Feeding
Cholesterol
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diet
Female
Hemoglobin A
Glycosylated
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Humans
Lactation
Macular Degeneration
Menarche
Menopause
Norway
Photography
Reproductive History
Retinal Drusen
Risk Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
Journal Article
Research Support
Non-U.S. Gov't
Tromsø
Online Access:https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/075350d5-462f-4369-a5c4-a64adfc1de87
https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2012-302461
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Summary:OBJECTIVE: Some risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have been shown to act differently in women and men. The present study aims to investigate this disparity by examining associations between female hormones, reproductive history and AMD. METHODS: Women aged 65-87 years were invited to this cross-sectional, population-based study in Norway. Participants underwent physical examination, retinal photography, answered questionnaires and had blood samples taken. RESULTS: The sample included 1512 women, of whom 48 (3.2%) had late AMD and 378 (25%) had large drusen >125 μm phenotype. Length of breast feeding per child was significantly associated with late AMD (OR per month 0.80, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.94) in multivariable regression analysis. We observed no associations between late AMD or drusen >125 μm and contraceptives, oral hormonal replacement therapy, parity, age at first childbirth, age of menarche, age of menopause, number of menstruating years or the reason for menopause. CONCLUSIONS: Longer duration of lactation was associated with lower frequency of maternal late AMD when controlled for confounders. Other reproductive factors and hormone replacement therapy were not significantly associated with AMD.

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