Does aspirin cause AMD?

Does aspirin cause AMD?

Does regular aspirin use put patients at risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD)? That is the finding in a highly publicized study from Australia published in JAMA Internal Medicine (formerly Archives of Internal Medicine). A prospective analysis was conducted from an Australian population-based cohort that included four examinations in 15 years as well as questionnaires regarding aspirin use. Of the 2389 participants with follow-up available, 257 (10.8%) were regular aspirin users and 63 of these (24.5%) developed neovascular (wet) AMD. Regular aspirin users were more likely to develop neovascular AMD: The 15-year cumulative incidence was 9.3% in aspirin users and 3.7% in non-users. After adjustment for age and multiple cardiovascular risk factors, regular users of aspirin had an odds ratio of neovascular AMD of 2.46 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25-4.83). The association showed a dose response effect, with daily users at higher risk. Aspirin was not associated with geographic atrophy (dry AMD). The authors conclude that "regular aspirin use is associated with increased risk of incident neovascular AMD independent of a history of cardiovascular disease and smoking." (JAMA Intern Med published online Jan. 21, 2013. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.1583). A related editorial points out that age-related AMD is the leading cause of blindness in Western countries, and this study suggests that regular aspirin is associated with an approximate 2.5-fold greater risk in incident AMD. The study is not a randomized trial, and although there is some biological plausibility in the association between aspirin use and development of AMD, this study is "not sufficiently robust to be clinically directive." (JAMA Intern Med published online Jan. 21, 2013. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.2530.) The take-home message for now is that for patients who are likely to benefit from aspirin (secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease), practice should not change. However, for those patients who take aspirin for indications that are less compelling, we may want to rethink the recommendation until good trials on the relationship between aspirin use and AMD can be assessed.