Kidney disease increases risk of Macular Degeneration

A new study in published in the journal Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation reveals that adults with decreased kidney function are at an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A team of researchers from Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston used data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to perform a cross-sectional nested case-control study. Variables used in the study were albumin-to-creatinine ratio and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The eGFR is a test which determines how much blood your kidneys are filtering. Researchers found that 51 study participants had late AMD while 865 had any form of AMD. Adjustments were made to account for diabetes, high blood pressure and total cholesterol. A lower eFGR was independently linked with late AMD. What researchers do not know yet is whether this association is due to a shared casual pathway or shared risk factors.* Elise Ervin Staff Writer