The Impact of Fish and Shellfish Consumption on Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Presented at: The Wilmer Residents Meeting, May 2009, Johns Hopkins University.
Received 3 June 2009; received in revised form 22 March 2010; accepted 26 March 2010. published online 13 July 2010. Corrected Proof
Purpose
To determine the relationship between fish and shellfish consumption and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) status in the Salisbury Eye Evaluation (SEE) Study participants.
Design
A cross-sectional study of dietary and ophthalmologic data.
Participants
A random sample of 2520 Salisbury, Maryland, residents aged 65 to 84 years.
Methods
A food frequency questionnaire was used to estimate weekly fish/shellfish consumption for each participant. Age-related macular degeneration status was determined from fundus photographs obtained at baseline and graded by 2 masked readers for drusen size, retinal pigment epithelium abnormalities, geographic atrophy (GA), and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). The association between weekly fish/shellfish intake and risk of AMD was investigated using logistic regression while adjusting for risk factors and correlation between eyes.
Main Outcome Measures
Status of AMD.
Results
The distribution of weekly fish/shellfish consumption was not different between specific AMD categories compared with controls (P = 0.6, 0.7, and 0.7 for large drusen, pigment abnormalities, and advanced AMD compared with controls, respectively). Those with advanced AMD (CNV or GA) were significantly less likely to consume fish/shellfish high in omega-3 fatty acids (odds ratio 0.4; confidence interval, 0.2–0.8). There was no relationship of AMD with intake of crab and oysters combined, each of which has high levels of zinc.
Conclusions
These data support a protective effect of fish/shellfish intake against advanced AMD.
Financial Disclosure(s)
Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
Available online: •••.
1Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
2The Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
CorrespondenceBonnielin K. Swenor, MPH, Wilmer RM 129, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205
Manuscript no. 2009–749.
Supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging, AG10184. Dr. West is a Research to Prevent Blindness Senior Scientific Investigator. Dr. Bressler is a consultant for Glaxo Smith Kline, Notal Vision, Oxigene, and Sightpath Medical.
ABSTRACT