Abstract: Objective  To analyze the correlation between idiopathic epiretinal membrane and systemic factors in middle-aged and elderly individuals in Guangzhou. Design Cross sectional study.  Participants 9,111 physical examination subjects aged ≥40 years who completed ophthalmic examinations at the 11th People's Hospital of Guangzhou from January to December 2019. Methods All participants underwent fundus color photography of both eyes and result interpretation, with records of ophthalmic history, height, weight, blood pressure, and various blood tests including six lipid indicators, fasting blood glucose, and serum uric acid. SPSS 26.0 was used for univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis for idiopathic epiretinal membrane and systemic factors. Main Outcome Measures The correlation between gender, age, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, and the risk of idiopathic epiretinal membrane. Result  A total of 9,111 subjects (aged 40-94 years, mean 58.73±10.62 years) were included, with 158 diagnosed with idiopathic epiretinal membrane. Univariate regression analysis showed increased disease risk in female subjects and those aged >60 years, while hyperuricemia was associated with reduced risk. After multivariate logistic regression correction, age >60 years was identified as an independent risk factor for idiopathic epiretinal membrane. Compared to the 40-49 age group, the 60-69 and ≥70 age groups exhibited approximately 9.948-fold (OR=10.948, 95% CI: 4.746-25.253, P<0.001) and 4.507-fold (OR=5.507, 95% CI: 2.300-13.183, P<0.001) higher disease risk, respectively. Hyperuricemia significantly reduced the likelihood of idiopathic epiretinal membrane by nearly 30% compared to subjects without hyperuricemia(P=0.031). Conclusion Age ≥60 years old is the main risk factor for idiopathic macular membrane, and hyperuricemia is a barrier to the occurrence of idiopathic macular membrane. Clinical workers need to strengthen fundus screening for high-risk individuals aged 60 and above, achieving early detection, early intervention, and early treatment.

Key words:  Idiopathic epiretinal membrane, Correlation, Risk factors