Risk of allergic diseases in age-related macular degeneration:A nationwide cohort study in South Korea
Je Moon Yoon,1,* Se Young Jung,2,3,* Kyung-Do Han,4 Bong Sung Kim,4 Dong Wook Shin,5,6 Dong Hui Lim,1,6,† Yoon-Seok Chang7,†
Affiliations:
1 Department of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
2 Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea
3 Department of Digital Healthcare, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea
4 Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Soongsil University, Seoul, South Korea
5 Department of Family Medicine & Supportive Care Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
6 Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation/Department of Digital Health, Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Science and Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
7 Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, South Korea
*Je Moon Yoon and Se Young Jung are the co-first authors of this study.
†Dong Hui Lim and Yoon-Seok Chang are co-corresponding authors of this study.
Abstract
Background: Premorbid allergic diseases are linked with the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), however, the risk of allergic diseases among patients with AMD is largely unknown.
Objective: To evaluate the association between AMD with or without visual disability (VD) and the risk of allergic diseases.
Methods: A total of 2,744,372 Individuals 50 years or older participated in the Korean National Health Screening Program in 2009 were categorized by presence of AMD and VD. Patients were followed until December 2019, and the prospective association of AMD and related VD with incident allergic diseases cases identified during the study period was investigated using the multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard model.
Results: During an average follow-up period of 5.87 years, 1,783,370 individuals were diagnosed with allergic diseases. Moreover, an increased risk of allergic diseases was observed in the group of individuals with AMD as compared to the control group (adjusted HR [aHR], 1.13; 95%CI, 1.11–1.14). The risk of atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis was more profound than that of asthma (aHR 1.12 [95%CI 1.07–1.18], aHR 1.13 [95%CI 1.11–1.14], and aHR 1.06 [95%CI 1.04–1.09], respectively). Furthermore, patients affected by AMD with VD were at an increased risk of atopic dermatitis (aHR 1.32, 95%CI 1.12–1.56) than those without VD (aHR 1.11, 95%CI 1.05–1.16) when compared with those in the control group.
Conclusion: AMD is associated with an increased risk of developing allergic diseases. Further investigations are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
Key words: Nationwide cohort, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, age-related macular degeneration, visual disability