Visual acuity in various phenotypes of intermediate age related macular degeneration (AMD) in a multicentre cohort study in Europe- INTERCEPT-AMD report 1

Abstract

Background/objectives: To study the associations of VA and intermediate age-related macular degeneration (iAMD) subclassifications.

Subjects/methods: This is the analysis of baseline data of a multicentre study on patients with iAMD in at least one eye. The subclassifications of iAMD were classified as: (i) iAMD with no evidence of incomplete retinal pigment epithelial and outer retinal atrophy (iRORA) or subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDD); (ii) iAMD with SDD with no iRORA; (iii) iAMD with iRORA with no SDD and (iv) iAMD with iRORA and SDD.

Results: 983 eyes from 805 patients with iAMD were analysed. The mean age was 75.8 years (SD 7.9), with 35.0% (282) male. Eyes with iRORA with SDD had lower VA relative to eyes with no iRORA and no SDD (OR = 0.98 [95% CI 0.96, 0.998]; P = 0.03). The VA in the better seeing eye was significantly higher than in the worse seeing eye. Increased age (sex adjusted OR, 1.07, 95% CI 1.05-1.09; P < 0.001) and female gender (age adjusted OR, 0.75, 95% CI 0.56-1.01; P = 0.057) were associated with SDD. Eyes with nAMD in the fellow eye had reduced odds of iRORA in the study eye (adjusted OR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.40-0.91; P = 0.015). Eyes with GA had increased odds of iRORA in the study eye (adjusted OR = 3.30, 95% CI 2.00-5.45; P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Baseline age, presence of SDD and/or iRORA and fellow eye status need to be considered in future clinical trials evaluating preventive or treatment options for iAMD.