The current proposal provides a unique opportunity to investigate the development of eye disease in a population-based study ofthe largest minority group in the United States and to examine novel lifestyle, biologic and genetic hypotheses related to the risk of developing these diseases. The study is designed to capture the 8-year incidence ofthe major vision-threatening eye diseases in Latinos (Mexican-Americans), including early age-related maculopathy (ARM), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and open-angle glaucoma (OAG), and the impact of these diseases on visual function. This application builds on the knowledge gained from the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (TALES), a population-based study of 6,357 Mexican-Americans aged 40 years and older. The cohort was assembled by recruiting Latino adults residing in 6 census tracts in Los Angeles County with clinical eye examinations given in 2000-2003 and re-examinations in 2004-2008. The data obtainedfromthis study have been used to document the prevalence, incidence, and impact of visual impairment, ARM, DR, and OAG over a 4-year period. In this application, we propose to re-examine the LALES cohort 8 years after the baseline examination. The additional incident cases that will be collected through 8 years of follow up will be needed for (i) biological and behavioral risk factor analyses, including time-dependent covariates assessed at baseline and follow-up (ii) replication offindingsfrom cross-sectional (prevalent) analyses using incident data while avoiding issues of temporality that can be of concem when exposure history or quality of life data is collected after disease is diagnosed and (iii) genetic analyses for a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of DR and early ARM.
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