Home Ophthalmology Low, High HDL Linked to Risk for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Low, High HDL Linked to Risk for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

LPA was identified as a novel single nucleotide polymorphism that is associated with increased risk for AMD

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 27, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Low and high high-density lipoprotein (HDL) are associated with an increased risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a study published in the June issue of Ophthalmology.

Jimmy S. Chen, M.D., from the Shiley Eye Institute at the University of California San Diego in La Jolla, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional retrospective data analysis involving 5,028 healthy participants and 2,328 patients with AMD from the All of Us research program to examine associations between clinical and genetic-based factors related to lipoprotein metabolism and the risk for AMD.

The researchers found that statin use and low and high HDL were significantly associated with an increased risk for AMD in a multivariable regression analysis. Certain HDL-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) increased the risk for AMD in multivariate regression. LPA, a major protein associated with lipoprotein(a), was identified as a novel SNP that is associated with an increased risk for AMD (odds ratio, 1.37).

“These findings highlight an exciting application of the wealth of clinical and genetic data in the All of Us dataset to highlight novel associations with the retinal disease pathophysiology of AMD,” the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to Topcon, which manufactures equipment for ophthalmology and surveying.


Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.