Can aspirin increase my risk of developing macular degeneration?
Updated January 01, 2014.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Question: Can aspirin increase my risk of developing macular degeneration?
My cardiologist has prescribed aspirin therapy as part of the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Can taking aspirin increase my risk of developing macular degeneration?
Answer:
Many people take aspirin every day to prevent heart attacks, but its effects on macular degeneration development are unclear. In a recent study conducted by University of Sydney researchers, at the end of a 15-year study, 24.5 percent of participants had developed neovascular, age-related macular degeneration.
They also determined that a greater number of regular aspirin users had the disease as they followed up throughout the years than the aspirin non-users. Is this evidence strong enough to stop regular aspirin use? Maybe not.
In a 2012 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that using aspirin for at least 10 years somewhat increased the development of late age-related macular degeneration. Earlier studies showed that age-related macular degeneration and cardiovascular disease had some possible commonalities as well as common causes. Previous studies showed that treating cardiovascular disease with aspirin might also help to prevent AMD since aspirin is a good anti-inflammatory. However, further studies suggested that aspirin might be associated with the progression of AMD.
Dr. G. Baker Hubbard, MD, an expert correspondent for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, said that the fact that aspirin use could possibly affect the development of serious vision loss with patient with age-related macular degeneration is controversial, and that other studies have not found this relationship between aspirin and the incidence of late stage macular degeneration.
He stated that this study needs to be replicated before more conclusions are formed. "This small risk of vision loss must be weighed the benefit of aspirin for each individual patient in consultation with their physician", Dr. Hubbard stated.
Emily Chew, MD, deputy director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications at the National Eye Institute, stated that evidence suggests that there is no major harmful effect of aspirin used by patients with AMD. She cited other studies that showed there may be other mechanisms at play causing the different conclusions since aspirin can thin the blood, but also has been shown to enhance new blood vessel growth.
Most people with AMD have the dry form which is usually less severe and tends to progress slowly. However, dry AMD can turn into wet AMD, a more advanced form of the disease that leads to greater vision loss. As fluid builds up in the macula, new blood vessels may grow that can leak fluid, blood and sometimes form a meshwork of blood vessels which lead to devastating vision loss. This more severe wet form is referred to as neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
Source List:
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Question: Can aspirin increase my risk of developing macular degeneration?
My cardiologist has prescribed aspirin therapy as part of the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Can taking aspirin increase my risk of developing macular degeneration?
Answer:
Many people take aspirin every day to prevent heart attacks, but its effects on macular degeneration development are unclear. In a recent study conducted by University of Sydney researchers, at the end of a 15-year study, 24.5 percent of participants had developed neovascular, age-related macular degeneration.
They also determined that a greater number of regular aspirin users had the disease as they followed up throughout the years than the aspirin non-users. Is this evidence strong enough to stop regular aspirin use? Maybe not.
In a 2012 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that using aspirin for at least 10 years somewhat increased the development of late age-related macular degeneration. Earlier studies showed that age-related macular degeneration and cardiovascular disease had some possible commonalities as well as common causes. Previous studies showed that treating cardiovascular disease with aspirin might also help to prevent AMD since aspirin is a good anti-inflammatory. However, further studies suggested that aspirin might be associated with the progression of AMD.
Dr. G. Baker Hubbard, MD, an expert correspondent for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, said that the fact that aspirin use could possibly affect the development of serious vision loss with patient with age-related macular degeneration is controversial, and that other studies have not found this relationship between aspirin and the incidence of late stage macular degeneration.
He stated that this study needs to be replicated before more conclusions are formed. "This small risk of vision loss must be weighed the benefit of aspirin for each individual patient in consultation with their physician", Dr. Hubbard stated.
Emily Chew, MD, deputy director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications at the National Eye Institute, stated that evidence suggests that there is no major harmful effect of aspirin used by patients with AMD. She cited other studies that showed there may be other mechanisms at play causing the different conclusions since aspirin can thin the blood, but also has been shown to enhance new blood vessel growth.
Basics of Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration, often referred to as age-related macular degeneration (ARMD or AMD), is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Macular degeneration usually affects older adults and causes loss of vision in the center of the visual field, due to damage to the retina. Damage occurs to the specialized part of the retina called the macula that allows us to have very detailed, clear central vision. In most cases, pigmentary changes occur in this area as well as development of yellow deposits called drusen. The light sensitive cells in the retina begin to break down leading to a change in central vision.Most people with AMD have the dry form which is usually less severe and tends to progress slowly. However, dry AMD can turn into wet AMD, a more advanced form of the disease that leads to greater vision loss. As fluid builds up in the macula, new blood vessels may grow that can leak fluid, blood and sometimes form a meshwork of blood vessels which lead to devastating vision loss. This more severe wet form is referred to as neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
What You Should Know
The risks and benefits of aspirin therapy vary for different people. You should not start aspirin therapy without first consulting your physician. If you have been advised to take aspirin every day, your physician may believe that the risks associated with macular degeneration are far smaller than its benefits. Discuss your particular risks and benefits with your physician to determine what is best for you.Source List:
- Klein, Barbara and E.K. Klein. Long-term Use of Aspirin and Age-Related Macular Degeneration. JAMA 2012.
- Roberts, Dan. Aspirin and AMD. Updated 19 Dec 2012.
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