Aspirin may increase AMD risk

Chicago-A recent study suggests that regular aspirin use appears to be associated with an increased risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and it appears to be independent of a history of cardiovascular disease and smoking.

The study provides evidence from the largest prospective cohort with more than 5 years of longitudinal evaluation reported to date using objective and standardized ascertainment of AMD. While a recent study suggested that regular aspirin use was associated with AMD, particularly the wet form, other studies have reported inconsistent findings.

Gerald Liew, PhD, of the University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues examined whether regular aspirin use (defined as once or more per week in the past year) was associated with a higher risk of developing AMD by conducting a prospective analysis of data from an Australian study that included four examinations during a 15-year period.

 “Regular aspirin use was significantly associated with an increased incidence of neovascular AMD,” the authors noted.

They also pointed out that any decision concerning whether to stop aspirin therapy is “complex and needs to be individualized.”

The report was published online by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

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