A recent study conducted by the Asian Eye Epidemiology Consortium discovered a significant association between Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and susceptibility to Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) in Asian populations. The findings published in the Ophthalmology journal highlighted the shared risk factors, pathogenic mechanisms and genetic polymorphisms that may elevate the risk of AMD in individuals with CKD.

The research employed a cross-sectional design to explore the intricate relationship between CKD and AMD with a sample size of 51,253 participants in total from 10 distinct population-based Asian studies. While CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) below 60 mL/min/1.73m², AMD was classified using established grading systems.
The results revealed a compelling connection between CKD and late AMD. The individuals with CKD expressed significantly higher odds of late AMD, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.46, after adjusting for various confounders such as age, sex, hypertension, diabetes and smoking status. Also, compromised kidney function which was indicated by a decrease in eGFR was also associated with a higher likelihood of late AMD, with an OR of 1.12 per 10-unit eGFR decrease. This study did not find a significant association between CKD or eGFR and early AMD. Despite this, the outcomes of the research underscore the importance of ocular examinations in CKD patients after considering the increased susceptibility to late AMD.
The study emphasized the significance of the pooled analysis from 10 distinct Asian population-based studies which highlights the crucial link between CKD and late AMD. This underlines the importance of vigilance in monitoring ocular health in CKD patients to detect and manage AMD at its earliest stages. This groundbreaking research deepens the understanding of the intricate relationship between kidney function and ocular health and also underscore the necessity for comprehensive healthcare strategies that mentions the interconnectedness of various physiological systems.
Source:
Xue, C. C., Sim, R., Chee, M. L., Yu, M., Wang, Y. X., Rim, T. H., Hyung, P. K., Woong, K. S., Song, S. J., Nangia, V., Panda-Jonas, S., Wang, N. L., Hao, J., Zhang, Q., Cao, K., Sasaki, M., Harada, S., Toru, T., Ryo, K., … Tham, Y.-C. (2023). Is Kidney Function Associated with Age-Related Macular Degeneration? Findings from the Asian Eye Epidemiology Consortium. In Ophthalmology. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2023.12.030