Skipping breakfast protects against age-related macular degeneration

Older people who intermittently fast by skipping breakfast appear to have a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a study has found.

The study used data from the population-based, government-led survey data, Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). A total of 4,504 participants aged ≥55 years with comprehensive data, including meal frequency and fundus photography, were included in the analysis.

Researchers grouped the participants based on their breakfast frequency per week: intermittent fasting (nearly 0 time/week) and nonfasting (5–7 times/week) groups. They applied multiple logistic regression models to determine the risk factors for AMD identified by fundus photography.

A quarter of the population (25.1 percent) were found to have AMD. Of note, participants in the fasting group had nearly 60-percent lower odds of having AMD compared with those in the nonfasting group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.413, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.203–0.841).

The association between intermittent fasting and lower AMD risk was especially pronounced among participants with a younger age (<70 years: aOR, 0.357, 95 percent CI, 0.153–0.833), obesity (aOR, 0.663, 95 percent CI, 0.424–1.037), and were residing in urban areas (aOR, 0.437, 95 percent CI, 0.248–0.769).

Other factors independently associated with AMD were older age (aOR, 1.058, 95 percent CI, 1.041–1.076) and serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (aOR, 1.011, 95 percent CI, 1.002–1.021).