BACKGROUND: Premorbid allergic diseases are linked with the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), however, the risk of allergic diseases among patients with AMD is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between AMD with or without visual disability (VD) and the risk of allergic diseases. METHODS: A total of 2,744,372 Individuals 50 years or older participated in the Korean National Health Screening Program in 2009 were categorized by presence of AMD and VD. Patients were followed until December 2019, and the prospective association of AMD and related VD with incident allergic diseases cases identified during the study period was investigated using the multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: During an average follow-up period of 5.87 years, 1,783,370 individuals were diagnosed with allergic diseases. Moreover, an increased risk of allergic diseases was observed in the group of individuals with AMD as compared to the control group (adjusted HR [aHR], 1.13
95%CI, 1.11-1.14). The risk of atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis was more profound than that of asthma (aHR 1.12 [95%CI 1.07-1.18], aHR 1.13 [95%CI 1.11-1.14], and aHR 1.06 [95%CI 1.04-1.09], respectively). Furthermore, patients affected by AMD with VD were at an increased risk of atopic dermatitis (aHR 1.32, 95%CI 1.12-1.56) than those without VD (aHR 1.11, 95%CI 1.05-1.16) when compared with those in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: AMD is associated with an increased risk of developing allergic diseases. Further investigations are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.