HDL levels linked to AMD risk

10 Jun 2025
The bright spots in this human eye scan are signs of macular degeneration. Photo credit: National Eye InstituteThe bright spots in this human eye scan are signs of macular degeneration. Photo credit: National Eye Institute

Both high and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) are significantly associated with an elevated risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), reveals a study.

In addition, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with HDL metabolism also contribute to the risk of AMD, further establishing the role of HDL in AMD pathogenesis.

Multivariable regression analysis revealed the significant associations of statin use and low and high HDL with increased AMD risk (p<0.001 for all variables).

Moreover, multivariable regression pointed to HDL-related SNPs as a factor to the elevated risk of AMD. Lipoprotein (a) was found to be a novel SNP associated with higher AMD risk (p=0.007).

“There exists a U-shaped relationship between HDL and AMD risk, such that high and low HDL are significantly associated with increased AMD risk,” the authors said.

This cross-sectional, retrospective data analysis involved 5,028 health participants and 2,328 patients with AMD. Participants with and without AMD were matched in a 1:2 ratio based on age, race, and sex.

The authors subcategorized statin use into hepatically versus nonhepatically metabolized statins. They also extracted laboratory values for low-density lipoprotein (LDL), HDL, and triglycerides (TG), excluding outliers from the analysis.

SNPs associated with LDL and HDL dysregulation were extracted using the PLINK toolkit. The risk between LDL, TG, and HDL versus AMD was examined by computing odds ratio curves. Finally, odds ratios and p-values were calculated using a multivariable logistic regression model.

Ophthalmology 2025;132:684-691