Resumen:
Purpose : AMD is a leading cause of vision loss among people aged 50 and older. AMD does not lead to total blindness, but the loss of vision interferes with everyday activities. To assess how the main risk factors have an impact on leading the development of the disease, the STARS questionnaire has been tested on the Spanish population
Methods : STARS is 13-scored questions, listing the risk factors having shown the most consistent association with AMD in the literature, for an easy and rapid identification of subjects being at risk for developing AMD.
We performed an epidemiological study (transversal, observational, ecological design) on ¿55 year old subjects recruited from Spanish public hospitals. Subjects were enrolled at clinical discretion. The study was approved by the institutional review board at each site, and written consent was obtained from each subject. All procedures were conforming to the Declaration of Helsinki.
Final statistical analysis was done by logistic multivariate regression model (SAS® software V9.2).
Results : The total recruitment was 7166 subjects (57% females/53% males). A total score, grading the risk of developing AMD, was given by the sum of each risk factor specific score. Fundus examination to detect macular disease was also performed.
After univariate analysis, the main risk factors for AMD were: age, BMI, cardiovascular disease, hypercholesterolemia, family history and cataract surgery history. When multivariate regression was performed age and familiar history were shown as the closest linked to AMD.
After analysis it was also shown that ethnology, dark skin/eye color, myopia/hypermetropia eye condition and fish, vegetable and vegetal oil consumption (>2 portions/month; > 2 portions/week and >2 portions/week) were protective factors.
From the subjects explored by fundus examination showing retinal lesions consistent with AMD: 15% scored<5; 44% scored 5-10 and 40% scored¿10.
Conclusions : The STARS questionnaire could be used in the future as a simple tool to monitor the population at AMD risk. It could be also used to demonstrate that health strategies (dietary ones) can be implemented in order to decrease such risk.
STARS carried out as pilot study, more analysis must be done in order to have more accurate results.
