Prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in Japanese immigrants and their descendants living in Londrina (PR) - Brazil.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of early and late-stage age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and its association with risk factors such as age, gender, smoking, body mass index, hypertension and diabetes history, cataracts and pseudophakia.
Design: Population-based cross-sectional study in an elderly Japanese-Brazilian population from Londrina (Paraná, Brazil).
Methods: The study included 483 (80.5%) of the 600 registered members of a local association for Japanese immigrants and their descendants, aged 60 years and up. The presence of early and late-stage age-related macular degeneration was determined using the standard protocol and the international classification system.
Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 71 years. The overall prevalence of age-related macular degeneration was 15.1% (CI 95%; 12-18.7). The prevalence of early-stage age-related macular degeneration was 13.8% (CI 95%; 10.9-17.3), geographic atrophy was present in 0.4% and neovascular age-related macular degeneration in 0.8%. Age-related macular degeneration was significantly (p=0.004) and linearly (p=0.001) associated with age.
Conclusion: Our study population displays a prevalence of early and late-stage age-related macular degeneration and component lesions similar to those of other Western countries, and data suggest a higher prevalence than that reported for populations in Japan. Since the age-related macular degeneration prevalence tends to rise as the population ages, studies identifying risk factors and exploring prevention methods are becoming increasingly important.