Authors:	Fieß, Achim Elbaz, Hisham Korb, Christina A. Nickels, Stefan Schulz, Andreas Münzel, Thomas Wild, Philipp Beutel, Manfred E. Schmidtmann, Irene Lackner, Karl J. Peto, Tunde Pfeiffer, Norbert Schuster, Alexander K.
Title:	Low birth weight is linked to age-related macular degeneration : results from the population-based Gutenberg Health Study (GHS)
Online publication date:	24-Jan-2020
Year of first publication:	2019
Language:	english
Abstract:	Purpose: This study analyzed whether low birth weight is linked to prevalence and incidence of age-related maculopathy (AMD) in adulthood. Methods: The Gutenberg Health Study (GHS) is a population-based, observational cohort study in Germany. GHS participants at an age from 35 to 74 years were included. An ophthalmologic examination with fundus photography was carried out. Fundus photographs were graded according to the Rotterdam Grading Scheme for AMD at baseline and at the 5-year follow-up examination. Participants were divided into three different birth weight groups (low: <2500 g; normal: 2500–4000 g; and high: >4000 g). Poisson regression analysis with adjustment for several confounders was used to assess associations between birth weight and AMD prevalence (overall, early, late AMD) and 5-year cumulative incidence. Results: Overall, 6492 participants were included (3538 female, aged 50.7 ± 10.4 years). Prevalence of total AMD was highest in the low birth weight group (11.2%; 40/358) compared to the normal birth weight group (6.5%; 346/5328) and the high birth weight group (8.4%; 68/806). Low birth weight was associated with overall AMD prevalence (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.54, P = 0.006), and in particular with early AMD prevalence (PR = 1.52; P = 0.01). No association was observed between low birth weight and cumulative 5-year incidence of AMD. Conclusions: Our analyses indicate that low birth weight may lead to higher prevalence of retinal diseases in later life, as we observed for AMD. Our results are limited due to missing data and loss to follow-up, but may be a first hint that AMD has one of its origins in early life.
DDC:	610 Medizin 610 Medical sciences
Institution:	Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department:	Externe Einrichtungen FB 04 Medizin
Place:	Mainz
ROR:	https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI:	http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-22
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hebis:77-publ-595214
Version:	Published version
Publication type:	Zeitschriftenaufsatz
License:	CC BY
Information on rights of use:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Journal:	Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 60 14
Pages or article number:	4943 4950
Publisher:	ARVO
Publisher place:	Rockville, Md.
Issue date:	2019
ISSN:	1552-5783 0146-0404
Publisher URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1167/iovs.19-27964
Publisher DOI:	10.1167/iovs.19-27964
Appears in collections:	JGU-Publikationen