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Meta-Analysis
. 2015 Jul 21:5:10585.
doi: 10.1038/srep10585.

Homocysteine and the risk of age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Peirong Huang  1 , Fenghua Wang  1 , Birendra Kumar Sah  2 , Junhai Jiang  3 , Zhentian Ni  2 , Jentso Wang  2 , Xiaodong Sun  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Homocysteine and the risk of age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Peirong Huang et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Contrasting results have been reported regarding the associations between plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) and B vitamin levels and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk. Thus, we aimed to systematically evaluate these associations. Relevant case control studies in English were identified via a thorough search of the PubMed, Medline, and Embase databases from inception to June 2014. The results were pooled using Review Manager 5.2.1. Eleven studies (including 1072 cases and 1202 controls) were eligible for analysis of tHcy levels; additionally, 3 studies (including 152 cases and 98 controls) were eligible for analysis of folic acid and vitamin B12 levels. The cumulative results demonstrated that the plasma tHcy level among the AMD cases was 2.67 μmol/L (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.60-3.74) higher than that among the controls. In contrast, the vitamin B12 level among the AMD cases was 64.16 pg/mL (95% CI, 19.32-109.00) lower than that among the controls. Subgroup analyses showed that the folic acid level was 1.66 ng/mL (95% CI, 0.10-3.21) lower for the wet type. Together, the results demonstrated that AMD is associated with elevated tHcy levels and decreased vitamin B12 levels. Plasma tHcy may act as a modulator of the risk for AMD based on the current evidence.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of the study search and selection strategies.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plots for the association of the plasma tHcy levels with AMD.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plots for the association of the serum folic acid levels with AMD.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plots for the association of the serum vitamin B12 levels with AMD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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