Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39719503›Full record

ArticleEye (London, England)2025

Associations between shorter leucocyte telomere length and increased risk of age-related macular degeneration in women: insights from the United Kingdom Biobank study.

Can Can Xue, Simon Nusinovici, Marco Yu, Miao-Li Chee, Kelvin Teo, Xinyi Su, Chui Ming Gemmy Cheung, Charumathi Sabanayagam, Ching-Yu Cheng, Yih-Chung Tham

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Eye (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Analysis of choroidal markers of activity in pachychoroid disease spectrum.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2025
    Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Can Can XueSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
Simon NusinoviciSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
Marco YuSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
Miao-Li CheeSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
Kelvin TeoSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
Xinyi SuDepartment of Ophthalmology, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Chui Ming Gemmy CheungSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3358-3516
Charumathi SabanayagamSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
Ching-Yu ChengSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0655-885X
Yih-Chung ThamSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore. thamyc@nus.edu.sg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6752-797X

Funding

Ministry of Health -Singapore (MOH) NMRC/LCG/004/2018; NMRC/MOH/ HCSAINV21nov-0001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo determine the association between telomere length (TL) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and examine the potential variations with sex and ethnicity.

methodsPopulation-based, cross-sectional study. A total of 52,083 participants from the UK Biobank were included. Leucocyte TL, measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, was presented as the ratio of telomere repeat copy number relative to that of a single copy gene, and then log-transformed and Z-standardised. AMD cases were identified based on a combination of in-patient, self-reported and primary care data, and furtherly classified as early, intermediate and late AMD using the Beckmann classification system (based on more severe eye).

resultsAmong the 52,083 participants aged 60.2 ± 5.4 years, 725 were any-AMD cases. AMD patients had shorter TL than those without AMD (-0.22 ± 0.95 vs. -0.10 ± 0.99, P = 0.001). In multivariable model, shorter TL (per standard deviation) was significantly associated with higher odds of AMD in Whites (OR:1.09; 95% CI: 1.01-1.18; P = 0.036). When stratified by sex and ethnicity, this association was only significant in White women (OR:1.14; 95%CI: 1.02, 1.27; P = 0.018), but not in men and nonwhite populations (all P ≥ 0.335). Among white women, the association was more pronounced (OR:1.47; 95%CI:1.23-1.77; P < 0.001) for intermediate/late AMD but not for early AMD (P = 0.789).

conclusionsShorter TL was associated with any AMD in white women but not in men and other ethnicities. Our findings highlight the potential role of telomere length in the pathogenesis of AMD and the importance of considering sex and ethnicity variation in this research area.

Indexed as

LeukocytesMacular DegenerationTelomereTelomere ShorteningAgedBiological Specimen BanksCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRisk FactorsUnited Kingdom

Identifiers

PMID39719503
PMCPMC11978758

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