Dataset Information

Pesticide Use and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Agricultural Health Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in developed countries. Few studies have investigated its relationship to environmental neurotoxicants. In previous cross-sectional studies, we found an association between pesticide use and self-reported retinal degeneration.

Objective

We evaluated the association of pesticide use with physician-confirmed incident AMD.

Methods

The Agricultural Health Study (AHS) is a prospective cohort of pesticide applicators and their spouses enrolled from 1993-1997 in Iowa and North Carolina. Cohort members reported lifetime use of 50 specific pesticides at enrollment. Self-reports of incident AMD during follow-up through 2007 were confirmed by reports from participants' physicians and by independent evaluation of retinal photographs provided by the physicians. Confirmed cases (n=161) were compared with AHS cohort members without AMD (n=39,108). We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by logistic regression with adjustment for age, gender, and smoking.

Results

AMD was associated with ever use of organochlorine [OR=2.7 (95% CI:?1.8,?4.0)] and organophosphate [OR=2.0 (95% CI: 1.3, 3.0)] insecticides and phenoxyacetate herbicides [OR=1.9 (95% CI:?1.2,?2.8)]. Specific pesticides consistently associated with AMD included chlordane, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), malathion, and captan; others with notable but slightly less consistent associations were heptachlor, diazinon, phorate, 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Results were similar for men and women. Some specific pesticides were associated with both early- and late-stage AMD, but others were associated with only one stage.

Conclusions

Exposures to specific pesticides may be modifiable risk factors for AMD. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP793.

SUBMITTER: Montgomery MP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5744702 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Pesticide Use and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Agricultural Health Study.

Montgomery Martha P MP Postel Eric E Umbach David M DM Richards Marie M Watson Mary M Blair Aaron A Chen Honglei H Sandler Dale P DP Schmidt Silke S Kamel Freya F

Environmental health perspectives 20170719 7

<h4>Background</h4>Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in developed countries. Few studies have investigated its relationship to environmental neurotoxicants. In previous cross-sectional studies, we found an association between pesticide use and self-reported retinal degeneration.<h4>Objective</h4>We evaluated the association of pesticide use with physician-confirmed incident AMD.<h4>Methods</h4>The Agricultural Health Study (AHS) is a prospective cohort of pes ...[more]

PMID: 28886597

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Dataset Information

Pesticide Use and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Agricultural Health Study.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Pesticide Use and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Agricultural Health Study.

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