Family history and age-related maculopathy: The Blue Mountains Eye Study

Purpose: To assess the associations between stages of age-related maculopathy (ARM) and reported family history of this eye disease. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 3654 subjects from a defined geographical area west of Sydney (NSW, Australia) identified subjects with late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and early ARM from masked detailed grading of retinal photographs. Interviewer-administered questionnaires provided data on family history of ARM. Logistic regression was used to assess associations, adjusting for other known risk factors. Results: A family history of ARM was significantly associated with both late AMD (odds ratio (OR) 3.92; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-11.46) and early ARM (OR 2.17; 95% CI 1.04- 4.55). The association was highest for neovascular AMD. Conclusions: These findings provide persuasive evidence that a stated family history of ARM is an important risk factor for ARM.