Study Reveals New Addition to List of AMD Modifiable Risk Factors
Optometrists strive to play a role in preventing the onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by educating their patients about these modifiable risk factors: cigarette use, poor diet, exposure to ultra-violet light, high blood pressure, and a sedentary lifestyle. Now, they can add gum disease, or periodontitis, to this list, according to a recent meta-analysis study in the Journal of Personalized Medicine.  

Specifically, 7 studies comprised of a total of 149,217 subjects showed a link between periodontitis and AMD, with an odds ratio of 1.42 (95% CI: 1.12 to 1.78; p = 0.003). 

The study’s researchers arrived at these results after assessing 11 scientific literature databases for studies of a periodontitis diagnosis and incident or prevalent AMD.

The idea for the study came from the fact that periodontitis leads to systemic low-grade inflammation, which is present in AMD patients. OM