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. 2021 Apr 28;13(5):790.
doi: 10.3390/v13050790.

Increased Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A Nationwide Population-Based Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study in Taiwan

Chih-Ching Yeh  1   2   3   4 , Meei-Maan Wu  1   4   5 , Chia-Min Wu  1   6 , Fung-Chang Sung  7   8   9 , Chih-Hsin Muo  7 , Arlene Te  10   11 , Fu-Hsiung Su  10   11
Affiliations

Increased Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A Nationwide Population-Based Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study in Taiwan

Chih-Ching Yeh et al. Viruses. .

Abstract

Studies evaluating the association between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk and HCV infection are scant. In this population-based cohort study, 13,300 patients newly diagnosed as having HCV (HCV cohort) and 26,600 propensity score-matched patients without HCV (non-HCV cohort) were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database between 2000 and 2013. Furthermore, 1,983 patients with HCV who received pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment (HCV-treated cohort) and propensity score-matched patients with HCV (matched at a ratio of 1:2) who did not receive this treatment (HCV-untreated cohort) were selected from the HCV cohort. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with the risk of AMD in the HCV and non-HCV cohorts. The adjusted HR (aHR) for AMD in the HCV cohort was 1.22 (95% CI = 1.09-1.35). This significant association was observed only for nonexudative AMD (aHR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.09-1.37). Compared with the HCV-untreated cohort, the HCV-treated cohort showed no significant association with any type of AMD (aHR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.81-1.43). Age and sex did not modify AMD development after the exposure and treatment of chronic HCV infection. Our findings revealed that patients with chronic HCV infection had an increased risk of AMD.

Keywords: aged-related macular degeneration; hepatitis C virus; insurance data; propensity score matching; retrospective cohort study.

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Conflict of interest statement

All participating personnel do not have any conflict of interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study sample selection. LHID 2000: Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association of chronic HCV infection with the risk of age-related macular degeneration. (A) All patients, (B) Female patients, (C) Male patients.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association of chronic HCV infection with the risk of age-related macular degeneration. (A) All patients, (B) Female patients, (C) Male patients.
Figure 3
Figure 3
PegIFN/RBV therapy did not reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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