Macular Degeneration and a Common Inflammation Blood Test: No Link to Progression in a Colorado Study

Inflammation is thought to play a role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and patients sometimes ask whether a routine blood test could warn them that their AMD is getting worse. One common test is high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or hs-CRP, a general marker of inflammation in the body. A study published in November 2026 in the Journal of VitreoRetinal Diseases put that idea to the test.

What the researchers did

Researchers at the University of Colorado used their AMD registry, which enrolled patients from 2014 to 2023. They followed 428 people with intermediate AMD, the stage before the advanced forms that cause major vision loss. Blood levels of hs-CRP were measured repeatedly over time, and the team used statistical models to see whether those levels predicted how quickly people progressed.

What they found

• Over 1,828 person-years of follow-up, 18% of participants progressed to geographic atrophy (advanced “dry” AMD) and 14% to neovascular (“wet”) AMD.
• hs-CRP levels were not associated with the time to progression to any advanced AMD, to geographic atrophy, or to wet AMD.
• No cutoff level of hs-CRP predicted progression either.

The authors concluded that repeated hs-CRP measurements are not a useful marker for predicting when intermediate AMD will advance. Several authors reported consulting or financial ties to companies working in retina, as disclosed in the paper.

What this means for patients

A normal or high CRP result on your general blood work does not tell you much about your macula. AMD progression is still monitored best by looking at the eye itself.

• Keep your scheduled dilated exams and retinal scans.
• Check each eye separately at home with an Amsler grid if your doctor recommends it.
• Report new distortion, a dark or blurry spot in central vision, or wavy lines right away.
• Do not smoke, and ask whether an AREDS2-type supplement is appropriate for your stage.

Advanced AMD care is provided by retina specialists. For more plain-language reading on eye health, see beverlyhillslasikdoc.com.

Source: Longitudinal Systemic C-Reactive Protein and Risk of Progression to Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Journal of VitreoRetinal Diseases (PubMed), 11/04/2026). This article is an educational summary written by Khanna Vision Institute and is not a substitute for medical advice.