Ophthalmology
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A genetic variant in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol pathway, hepatic lipase (LIPC), was discovered to be associated with advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a genome-wide association study. In this study, we evaluated whether LIPC is associated with serum lipids, and whether this gene and serum lipids are independently associated with AMD. ⋯ The HDL-raising allele of the LIPC gene (T) was associated with a reduced risk of AMD. Higher total cholesterol and LDL levels were associated with increased risk, whereas higher HDL levels tended to reduce the risk of AMD. The specific mechanisms underlying the association between AMD and LIPC require further investigation.