Increased Nonexudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration Diagnosis Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Rheumatoid Arthritis

PURPOSE: AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. The role of secondary inflammatory disease on AMD progression is largely unknown. Here we investigate the association between AMD and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using MarketScan data for patients aged ≥65 years on Medicare. METHODS: Baseline data were extracted for subjects with at least two International Classification, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis codes of RA and control subjects (no RA) and were matched at baseline by propensity score. Matched cohort data were extracted post-baseline time and examined up to 4.5 years of follow-up for ICD-9 diagnosis code AMD records. Multivariable regression models compared risk of an AMD diagnosis post-baseline for RA subjects and matched controls. Days until first AMD diagnosis between RA patients and controls was examined using survival analysis. RESULTS: Risk of new AMD diagnosis was elevated in RA patients (odds ratio [OR] 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.98–2.18), with an increase in nonexudative AMD patients (P < 0.0001). Risk was elevated in female (n = 27,548) (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.05–1.17) compared with male (n = 9704; P < 0.001) patients. The time to first AMD diagnosis was shorter for RA subjects than controls (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis provides support of association between RA diagnosis and increased nonexudative AMD diagnosis.