Macular degeneration and early menopause: a case-control study

Age related macular degeneration is a main cause of blindness in elderly people. The disease affects the macula lutea and results in a central scotoma in the visual field. The cause of the disease is poorly understood, and treatment is only successful in a few cases. Recent findings of an association between use of postmenopausal exogenous oestrogens and a lower risk of macular degeneration suggest a role for oestrogens in the pathogenesis of the disease.1 We hypothesised that a higher risk of macular degeneration occurs in women with an early menopause. Data were obtained from the Rotterdam study.2 All women aged 55 years and over who were resident in the suburb of Ommoord in Rotterdam were invited for the study. The response rate was …

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