Vitamin D Deficiency in Community-Dwelling Elderly Is Not Associated with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Background: Elderly persons are at elevated risk of vitamin D deficiency, which is involved in various health problems. However, its relation with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is debated.

Objectives: We investigated factors associated with plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency and the associations between plasma 25(OH)D concentrations and AMD in elderly subjects.

Methods: Antioxydants, Lipides Essentiels, Nutrition et maladies OculaiRes (ALIENOR) is a population-based study on eye diseases performed in elderly residents of Bordeaux, France. Plasma 25(OH)D concentrations were assessed from blood samples and categorized as <25 nmol/L (deficiency), 25-49 nmol/L (insufficiency), or ≥50 nmol/L (sufficiency). AMD was classified as: no AMD, early AMD, and late AMD. Associations between baseline characteristics and plasma 25(OH)D status were examined with multinomial logistic regression analysis. Associations between AMD and plasma 25(OH)D status were estimated using generalized estimating equation logistic regressions.

Results: Six hundred ninety-seven subjects with complete data were included. The prevalence of plasma 25(OH)D deficiency and insufficiency were 27.3% and 55.9%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, 25(OH)D deficiency was significantly associated with older age (P = 0.0007), females (P = 0.0007), absence of physical activity (P = 0.01), absence of vitamin D supplementation (P < 0.0001), higher plasma total cholesterol (P = 0.007), use of fibrates (P < 0.0001), lower alcohol consumption (P = 0.02), and season of blood sampling (P < 0.0001). After adjustment for these covariates and dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake, smoking, and body mass index, no significant associations were found between early AMD and 25(OH)D insufficiency or deficiency (OR: 0.71, P = 0.12; OR: 0.73, P = 0.23, respectively) or with late AMD (OR: 1.04, P = 0.93; OR: 0.74, P = 0.59, respectively).

Conclusion: These findings underline the very high prevalence of plasma 25(OH)D deficiency in this elderly population but do not support a specific role for vitamin D in AMD.

Keywords: 25-hydroxyvitamin D; age-related macular degeneration; community-dwelling population; deficiency; elderly; vitamin D.