Extremely Discordant Sib-Pair Study Design to Determine Risk Factorsfor Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Results of previous studies of environmental, constitutional, medical,and social factors have not been in agreement as to predictors of age-relatedmacular degeneration (AMD). Cigarette smoking appears to be the only riskfactor consistently associated with an increased risk for AMD. However, thisfactor has not been detected in some studies of the neovascular form of thedisease.^1-3 Giventhe multifactorial and heterogeneous nature of AMD, the use of epidemiologicalmethods to detect weak to moderate associations may be required to identifymodifiable risk factors.