To estimate the prevalence of age-related maculopathy in an older population from 7 European countries.Methods: Randomly sampled people 65 years and older were invited to an eye examination in centers across 7 European countries

In our study population, the annual incidence of PSV is slowly increasing with time and the incidence is greatest in the elderly.

Objective. To investigate the association between primary systemic vasculitis (PSV) and environmental risk factors.Methods. Seventy-five PSV cases and 273 controls (220 nonvasculitis, 19 secondary vasculitis, and 34 asthma controls) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Factors investigated were social class, occupational and residential history, smoking, pets, allergies, vaccinations, medications, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and farm exposure in the year before symptom onset (index year). The Standard Occupational Classification 2000 and job-exposure matrices were used to assess occupational silica, solvent, and metal exposure. Stepwise multiple logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval Conclusion. A significant association between farming and PSV has been identified for the first time. Results also support previously reported associations with silica, solvents, and allergy.The primary systemic vasculitides (PSV) are a group of relatively rare diseases of unknown etiology (1). A number of potential environmental risk factors have been reported. Systemic vasculitis has been associated with exposure to particulate silica (e.g., quartz, granite, sandstone, and grain dust) (2-5). There has been conflicting evidence regarding a link between occupational exposure to hydrocarbons (e.g., paints, glues) and Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and the association with glomerulonephritis is stronger (6-8). A case-control study carried out at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) revealed an association with exposure to fumes or particulates and pesticides in patients with WG compared with healthy or rheumatic disease controls but not respiratory disease

To examine the association of sunlight exposure and antioxidant level with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: Four thousand seven hundred fifty-three participants aged 65 years or older in the European Eye Study underwent fundus photography, were interviewed for adult lifetime sunlight exposure, and gave blood for antioxidant analysis. Blue light exposure was estimated by combining meteorologic and questionnaire data. Results: Data on sunlight exposure and antioxidants were available in 101 individuals with neovascular AMD, 2182 with early AMD, and 2117 controls. No association was found between blue light exposure and neovascular or early AMD. Significant associations were found between blue light exposure and neovascular AMD in individuals in the quartile of lowest antioxidant levelvitamin C, zeaxanthin, vitamin E, and dietary zincwith an odds ratio of about 1.4 for 1 standard deviation unit increase in blue light exposure. Higher odds ratios for blue light were observed with combined low antioxidant levels, especially vitamin C, zeaxanthin, and vitamin E (odds ratio, 3.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-8.9), which were also associated with early stages of AMD. Conclusions: Although it is not possible to establish causality between sunlight exposure and neovascular AMD, our results suggest that people in the general population should use ocular protection and follow dietary recommendations for the key antioxidant nutrients.

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