RISK FACTORS FOR AGE-RELATED EYE DISEASES

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DESCRIPTION: (Candidate's Abstract) This is a revised application for a K08 (formerly K11) Award to train Dr. Debra Schaumberg in epidemiology. The program consists of graduate courses in epidemiology and biostatistics at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), seminars and research meetings at the Division of Preventive Medicine at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and HSPH, and research under the continued mentorship of Dr. Charles Hennekens, Harvard Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology. The overall goals of the career development plan are: 1) to develop a strong academic foundation in epidemiology, including completion of the Harvard Sc.D. degree, and 2) to integrate didactic learning with hands-on research experience in order to progress into an independent researcher. Previous studies have raised the possibility that cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) may share common risk factors. The proposed studies will investigate the commonality of CVD risk factors with cataract and AMD. The health-relatedness of the project is that cataract and AMD are leading causes of blindness and visual impairment worldwide. The specific aims of the research plan are: 1) to identify potential independent predictors of cataract including hypertension, antihypertensive medications, and body weight variability; and 2) to investigate whether AMD shares common risk factors with CVD, in particular hypertension, antihypertensive medications, body mass index, physical activity, and dietary factors including saturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and carotenoids. Methods: The research will emanate from data being collected as part of the National Eye Institute-funded Randomized Trials of Vitamin Supplements and Eye Disease substudy of the ongoing Physicians' Health Study. This will provide a unique opportunity for Dr. Schaumberg to perform prospective observational studies using baseline and updated risk factor information and confirmed self-reports of incident cases of cataract and AMD documented over more than 12 years of follow-up of 22,071 men. The long-term objective of this research is to contribute to a better understanding of the etiology and risk factors for these common blinding diseases so that progress can be made toward their prevention.