Results from a retrospective cohort study highlighted a possible link between high levels of "good" (HDL-C) cholesterol and the dry form of macular degeneration (dry AMD).
Data from 70 locations in the United States was reviewed by researchers. Only data from patients who had two or more HDL-C measurements taken at least three months apart were included in the research. Researchers then divided the study subjects into two groups: high HDL-C (greater or equal to 60mg/dl) and low HDL-C (greater or equal to 39 mg/dl). The result was 186, 532 study subjects.
The study results, which were published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, indicated a substantial increased risk of dry AMD among study subjects who had high HDL-C levels. The risk of dry AMD was much less and not as consistent among those with low HDL-C levels.
Researchers emphasized that additional studies are needed to understand the functionality of HDL-C within the retina as well to evaluate whether therapies that raise HDL-C levels coincide with increased risk of dry AMD.
