Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is associated with a higher risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online Sept. 9 in Scientific Reports.

Je Moon Yoon, from Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues examined the association between AMD with and without visual disability (VD) and the risk for RA. The analysis included 3.5 million individuals who underwent health checkups in 2009 with follow-up until 2019.

The researchers found that 1.24 percent of the cohort were diagnosed with RA. There was higher risk for RA among individuals with AMD compared with controls, regardless of the presence of VD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.11; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 1.21), when adjusting for lifestyle factors and comorbidities.

Different risk levels of RA were seen among individuals with AMD based on VD status (without VD: aHR, 1.13; 95 percent CI, 1.03 to 1.21; with VD: aHR, 0.90; 95 percent CI, 0.64 to 1.27).

“In order to interpret our findings showing that the risk of incidental RA did not increase in AMD patients with VD, it is necessary to consider the possibility that RA may be underdiagnosed in this population,” the authors write.