Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jul:239:159-169.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2021.05.024. Epub 2021 Jun 6.

COVID-19 Morbidity and Severity in Patients With Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Korean Nationwide Cohort Study

Jee Myung Yang  1 , Sung Yong Moon  2 , Joo Yong Lee  3 , Dritan Agalliu  4 , Dong Keon Yon  5 , Seung Won Lee  6
Affiliations

COVID-19 Morbidity and Severity in Patients With Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Korean Nationwide Cohort Study

Jee Myung Yang et al. Am J Ophthalmol. 2022 Jul.

Erratum in

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the potential association between age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a representative chronic age-related degenerative disease of the retina associated with inflammation and aging, and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes.

Design: Nationwide cohort study with propensity-score matching.

Methods: A population-based nationwide cohort in Korea was examined. Data were obtained from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service of Korea, including all patients aged ≥40 years who underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing in South Korea between January 1, 2020 and May 15, 2020 (excluding self-referral). The primary outcome was SARS-CoV-2 test positivity and the secondary outcome was severe clinical outcome of COVID-19.

Results: The unmatched cohort consisted of 135,435 patients who were tested for SARS-CoV-2: 4531 patients (3.3%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 5493 (4.1%) had AMD. After propensity score matching, exudative AMD was associated with an increased likelihood of susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.25), and a considerably greater risk of severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 (aOR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.02-5.26), but not any AMD and non-exudative AMD.

Conclusions: In a Korean nationwide cohort, data suggest that clinicians should be aware of the greater risk of susceptibility to severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with exudative AMD. These findings provide an improved understanding of the relationship between the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and chronic neurological disorders.

Keywords: COVID-19; age-related macular degeneration; exudative age-related macular degeneration; severity; susceptibility.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A graphical depiction of the study profile in the Korean nationwide cohort.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association of AMD with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results in 135,435 patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection (primary outcome), and the association of AMD with severe COVID-19 outcomes in 4531 patients with confirmed COVID-19 (secondary outcomes). x-axis = a log-scale; red dots = minimal adjustment; blue dots = full adjustment; error bars = 95% CI.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Lee SW, Yuh WT, Yang JM, et al. Nationwide results of COVID-19 contact tracing in South Korea: individual participant data from an epidemiological survey. JMIR Med Informatics. 2020;8(8):e20992. doi: 10.2196/20992. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yang JM, Koh HY, Moon SY, et al. Allergic disorders and susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19: a nationwide cohort study. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020;146(4):790–798. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.08.008. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Guan WJ, Liang WH, Zhao Y, et al. Comorbidity and its impact on 1590 patients with COVID-19 in China: a nationwide analysis. Eur Respir J. 2020;55(5) doi: 10.1183/13993003.00547-2020. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Varatharaj A, Thomas N, Ellul MA, et al. Neurological and neuropsychiatric complications of COVID-19 in 153 patients: a UK-wide surveillance study. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;2(20):1–8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. The Lancet N. The neurological impact of COVID-19. Lancet Neurol. 2020;19(6):471. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types