PubMed ID: 35271555
Author(s): Karger AB, Guan W, Nomura SO, Weir NL, Klein BEK, Burke GL, Johnson WC, Tsai MY. ASSOCIATION OF PLASMA omega-3 FATTY ACIDS WITH EARLY AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION IN THE MULTI-ETHNIC STUDY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS. Retina. 2022 Jul 1;42(7):1384-1391. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000003465. PMID 35271555
Journal: Retina (Philadelphia, Pa.), Volume 42, Issue 7, Jul 2022
PURPOSE To examine the association between omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis cohort.
METHODS Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis is a multicenter, prospective cohort study designed to identify risk factors for cardiovascular disease in four ethnic groups. Six thousand eight hundred and fourteen participants of White, African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Chinese descent, aged 45-84 years, were recruited, with those found to have cardiovascular disease excluded. Our study population included all Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants with baseline polyunsaturated fatty acid measurements and retinal photography at Examination 5 (n = 3,772). Fundus photographs were assessed for AMD using a standard grading protocol. Relative risk regression (log link) determined associations between polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and AMD.
RESULTS There was a significant association between increasing docosahexaenoic acid levels and increasing docosahexaenoic acid + eicosapentaenoic acid levels with reduced risk for early AMD (n = 214 participants with early AMD, of which n = 99 (46.3%) are non-White). Eicosapentaenoic acid levels alone were not significantly associated with AMD.
CONCLUSION Our analysis suggests increasing levels of docosahexaenoic acid are associated with reduced risk for early AMD in a multiethnic cohort. This represents the first racially diverse study demonstrating an association between omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and AMD risk.