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A prospective study of cigarette smoking and age-related macular degeneration in women.
ABSTRACTS EDITED BY THOMAS J. LIESEGANG, MD
• A prospective study of cigarette smoking and age-related macular degeneration in women. Seddon JM*, Willett WC, Speizer FE, Hankinson SE. JAMA 1996;276:1141-1146.
T
HE INCIDENCE OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENER-
ation was determined in this prospective cohort study of 31,843 registered nurses in the Nurses' Health Study. The study population was aged 50 to 59 years in 1980 and studied for 12 years. During the study, 215 women were newly diagnosed with agerelated macular degeneration. After adjusting for other risk factors, women who smoked 25 or more cigarettes per day had a relative risk of age-related macular degeneration of 2.4 (95% confidence inter val, 1.4 to 4.0) compared with women who never smoked. Past smokers had a relative risk of 2.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 3.4) and there was little reduction in risk after quitting smoking for 15 or more years. The results were similar for both the dry and exudative types of age-related macular de generation. This article and the accompanying arti cle provide one more reason not to smoke.—Hans E. Grossniklaus. *Epidemiology Unit, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114.
• A prospective study of cigarette smoking and risk of age-related macular degeneration in men. Chris ten WG*, Glynn RJ, Manson JE, Ajani UA, Buring JE. JAMA 1996;276:1147-1151.
T
HE INCIDENCE OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENER-
ation was determined in this prospective cohort study of 21,157 male physicians in the Physicians' Health Study. The study population did not have a diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration at base line and was studied for 7 years. There were 268 JANUARY 1997
incident cases of age-related macular degeneration with vision loss. Multivariate analysis of current smokers of 20 or more cigarettes per day compared with those who never smoked showed a relative risk of 2.46 (95% confidence interval, 1.60 to 3.79). The relative risk for age-related macular degeneration in past smokers had a modest significant elevation, showing a relative risk of 2.45 (95% confidence interval, 1.60 to 3.79). Current smokers of less than 20 cigarettes per day showed a nonsignificant 26% increase in risk for age-related macular degeneration (relative risk, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.61 to 2.59). Smoking is an equal opportunity risk factor for both men and women.—Hans E. Grossniklaus. *900 Commonwealth Ave E, Boston, MA 02215-1204.
• Infection and allergy incidence in ambulatory surgery patients using white petrolatum vs bacitracin ointment: A randomized controlled trial. Smack DP*, Harrington AC, Dunn C, Howard RS, Szkutnik AJ, Krivda SJ, Caldwell JB, James WD. JAMA 1996; 276:972-977.
N
INE-HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO PATIENTS WHO HAD
clean ambulatory dermatologic surgery with a total of 1,249 wounds at an army medical center were randomly assigned in a prospective comparison be tween white petrolatum and bacitracin ointment in postprocedure wound care. Incidence of wound infec tion, allergic contact dermatitis, and healing char acteristics were compared. The two treatment groups had comparable baseline characteristics. Two percent in the white petrolatum group vs 0.9% in the bacitracin group developed an infection (P = .37). Eight of the nine infections in the white petrolatum group were due to Staphylococcus aureus vs none in the bacitracin group. Allergic contact dermatitis
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
149
• A prospective study of cigarette smoking and age-related macular degeneration in women. Seddon JM*, Willett WC, Speizer FE, Hankinson SE. JAMA 1996;276:1141-1146.
T
HE INCIDENCE OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENER-
ation was determined in this prospective cohort study of 31,843 registered nurses in the Nurses' Health Study. The study population was aged 50 to 59 years in 1980 and studied for 12 years. During the study, 215 women were newly diagnosed with agerelated macular degeneration. After adjusting for other risk factors, women who smoked 25 or more cigarettes per day had a relative risk of age-related macular degeneration of 2.4 (95% confidence inter val, 1.4 to 4.0) compared with women who never smoked. Past smokers had a relative risk of 2.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 3.4) and there was little reduction in risk after quitting smoking for 15 or more years. The results were similar for both the dry and exudative types of age-related macular de generation. This article and the accompanying arti cle provide one more reason not to smoke.—Hans E. Grossniklaus. *Epidemiology Unit, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114.
• A prospective study of cigarette smoking and risk of age-related macular degeneration in men. Chris ten WG*, Glynn RJ, Manson JE, Ajani UA, Buring JE. JAMA 1996;276:1147-1151.
T
HE INCIDENCE OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENER-
ation was determined in this prospective cohort study of 21,157 male physicians in the Physicians' Health Study. The study population did not have a diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration at base line and was studied for 7 years. There were 268 JANUARY 1997
incident cases of age-related macular degeneration with vision loss. Multivariate analysis of current smokers of 20 or more cigarettes per day compared with those who never smoked showed a relative risk of 2.46 (95% confidence interval, 1.60 to 3.79). The relative risk for age-related macular degeneration in past smokers had a modest significant elevation, showing a relative risk of 2.45 (95% confidence interval, 1.60 to 3.79). Current smokers of less than 20 cigarettes per day showed a nonsignificant 26% increase in risk for age-related macular degeneration (relative risk, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.61 to 2.59). Smoking is an equal opportunity risk factor for both men and women.—Hans E. Grossniklaus. *900 Commonwealth Ave E, Boston, MA 02215-1204.
• Infection and allergy incidence in ambulatory surgery patients using white petrolatum vs bacitracin ointment: A randomized controlled trial. Smack DP*, Harrington AC, Dunn C, Howard RS, Szkutnik AJ, Krivda SJ, Caldwell JB, James WD. JAMA 1996; 276:972-977.
N
INE-HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO PATIENTS WHO HAD
clean ambulatory dermatologic surgery with a total of 1,249 wounds at an army medical center were randomly assigned in a prospective comparison be tween white petrolatum and bacitracin ointment in postprocedure wound care. Incidence of wound infec tion, allergic contact dermatitis, and healing char acteristics were compared. The two treatment groups had comparable baseline characteristics. Two percent in the white petrolatum group vs 0.9% in the bacitracin group developed an infection (P = .37). Eight of the nine infections in the white petrolatum group were due to Staphylococcus aureus vs none in the bacitracin group. Allergic contact dermatitis
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
149