Regular intake of aspirin can ruin vision in old age
In the USA, aspirin is one of the most widely used drugs. Almost 20% of adults report regular use of aspirin, and this figure increases with age. The results of previously conducted cross-studies of the alleged relationship between the use of aspirin and the development of age-related macular degeneration did not allow us to draw an unambiguous conclusion on this issue.
Age–related retinal degeneration is a disease that is one of the main causes of blindness in elderly people, the frequency of which increases with aging.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin used data collected as part of the longitudinal population study of age-related eye diseases Beaver Dam Eye Study conducted in Wisconsin. At the time of inclusion in the study (1988-1990), the age of its participants (n = 4,926) was 43-86 years. During the subsequent 20-year period, the participants' eye condition was assessed every 5 years. During each survey, participants were interviewed for regular aspirin intake with a frequency of at least twice a week for more than 3 months. The average duration of the follow-up period was 14.8 years.
In their work, the authors assessed the incidence of different types of age-related macular degeneration: late and early, as well as two subtypes of the late form of the disease: neovascular (wet) macular degeneration and geographical atrophy, or dry macular degeneration.
In total, 512 cases of the occurrence of an early form of age-related macular degeneration and 117 cases of the occurrence of a late form of the disease were registered during the period of the study. Analysis of the available data showed that regular aspirin intake 10 years before the first retinal examination was associated with the development of a late form of age–related macular degeneration (adjusted for age and gender, the incidence of the disease was 1.8% for aspirin users, and 1% for non-users). When studying the structure of morbidity, it was found that taking aspirin affects only the incidence of the wet form of age-related macular degeneration (adjusted for age and gender, 1.4% compared with 0.6%). Regular aspirin intake 5-10 years before retinal examination was not associated with an increase in the incidence of an early form of age-related macular degeneration.
According to the authors, the revealed weak but statistically reliable association between regular aspirin intake and the likelihood of developing a neovascular form of age-related macular degeneration requires further confirmation. If it is obtained, finding out the causal mechanisms of this relationship will allow us to develop methods for preventing the development of age-related macular degeneration in people who regularly take aspirin.
Article by Barbara E. K. Klein et al. The Long-term Use of Aspirin and Age-Related Macular Degeneration is published in the journal JAMA.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the JAMA Network:
Regular Aspirin Use 10 or More Years Ago Associated With Increased Risk of Type of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
20.12.2012