To investigate whether endogenous and exogenous female hormone exposures were associated with risks for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in postmenopausal women.

This study included 4,479 postmenopausal females aged 45 years and older who completed the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) V. The participants were divided into 4 groups: subjects with AMD, subjects without AMD, subjects with early AMD, and subjects with late AMD. Variables associated with endogenous and exogenous female hormone exposures were analyzed.

Among the 4,479 participants, 516 were found to have AMD and 3,963 were normal. There was no significant difference between the AMD and normal groups execpt for age in the risk analysis. Of the total 516 AMD participants, 488 had early AMD and 28 had late AMD. Women with AMD who had used oral contraceptives longer in the past had significantly higher odds of late AMD than early AMD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.013, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.002–1.024). Increasing number of children was also associated with decreased odds of late AMD (OR = 0.672, 95% CI: 0.506-0.893).

These findings suggest that exposure to endogenous and exogenous female hormones may influence the risk of AMD progression.