Alcohol intake and age-related maculopathy.

To assess associations between alcohol intake and age-related maculopathy. A population-based study of 3,654 subjects identified cases of late age-related macular degeneration, early age-related maculopathy, and any large drusen (larger than 125 microns) by examination and grading of retinal photographs. Interviewer-administered questionnaires provided data on alcohol intake. Neither total alcohol intake nor intake of beer specifically was significantly associated with age-related maculopathy, although a significant positive association was found between consumption of spirits and early age-related maculopathy. These findings provide little evidence that alcohol is causally associated with age-related maculopathy.