Solar Exposure and Residential Geographic History in Relation to Exfoliation Syndrome in the United States and Israel

IMPORTANCE: Residential (geographic) history and extent of solar exposure may be important risk factors for exfoliation syndrome (XFS) but, to our knowledge, detailed lifetime solar exposure has not been previously evaluated in XFS. OBJECTIVE: To assess the relation between residential history, solar exposure, and XFS. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This clinic-based case-control study was conducted in the United States and Israel. It involved XFS cases and control individuals (all ≥60-year-old white individuals) enrolled from 2010 to 2012 (United States: 118 cases and 106 control participants; Israel: 67 cases and 72 control participants). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Weighted lifetime average latitude of residence and average number of hours per week spent outdoors as determined by validated questionnaires. RESULTS: In multivariable analyses, each degree of weighted lifetime average residential latitude away from the equator was associated with 11% increased odds of XFS (pooled odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% CI, 1.05-1.17; P