Cancer History and Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Age Appears to be an Influential Factor

Abstract

Background: Both cancer and neurodegenerative disease impose significant burden on the daily lives of older adults. Interestingly, previous studies have observed an inverse association between cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This study evaluated the association between a history of cancer and the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a neurodegenerative disease affecting the retina, among cancer survivors. Methods: Using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES 2017-2018), we selected the data of 6,993 adults, including 452 cancer survivors, that had received and ophthalmic examination. A multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for potential covariates was used to investigate the association between cancer history and AMD prevalence. Results: Participants with a cancer history were less likely to have AMD, but this relation was not significant. However, age-stratified analysis revealed that the prevalence of AMD tended to be lower only among young cancer survivors aged ＜55 years (P=0.076). Conclusion: An inverse association between cancer and AMD might exist in young individuals. These findings highlight the potential importance of considering age-specific effects in the study of comorbidities between cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Further research with large sample sizes and longitudinal data is warranted to confirm these observations and elucidate underlying mechanisms.