Vitamin D levels and presence of AMD are not associated

Recent evidence suggesting a link between low vitamin D levels, delayed angiogenesis and reduced inflammatory response has been disproved in a study featured in Eye.

A cross-sectional clinical study led by Dr S. Golan, Department of Ophthalmology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel, looked at 1045 members of the Maccabi Healthcare Services (MHS) with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and 8124 patients who didn't have AMD. All participants had their Vitamin D levels taken during routine examinations between 2000 and 2008. The main outcome measure was Serum 25-OH vitamin D levels.

The findings demonstrated a mean ±SD level of 25-OH vitamin D of 24.1±9.41 ng/ml for AMD patients and 24.13±9.50 ng/ml for non-AMD patients. A third of AMD patients and 32.86% of the controls had vitamin D levels of under 16 ng/ml, and the proportions of examinations in which the vitamin D level was greater than 74 ng/ml were 0.19 and 0.14%, respectively.

The results suggest the study has disproved a recent investigation into the association between reduced vitamin D levels and presence of AMD.