Photo Credit: Toa55

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is associated with a higher risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published in Scientific Reports. A research team from South Korea examined the association between AMD, with and without visual disability, and the risk for RA. The analysis used national health insurance data and included 3.5 million people who underwent health checkups in 2009 with follow-up until 2019. The researchers found that 1.24% of the cohort were diagnosed with RA. People with AMD were at a higher risk for RA, compared with controls, regardless of the presence of visual disability (aHR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.02-1.21), when adjusting for lifestyle factors and comorbidities. People without visual disability had a slightly higher risk for RA (aHR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03-1.21) compared with people who had a visual disability (aHR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.64-1.27). Regarding the interpretation of this finding, the researchers noted that RA may be underdiagnosed in patients with AMD with visual disability.