Background: It has been hypothesized that the macular carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, may protect against age-related maculopathy. We evaluated the association between blood concentrations of lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) and age-related maculopathy (ARM) in a case-control analysis of the baseline examination of the Muenster Ageing and Retina Study (MARS). Methods: Of the 1060 participants aged 59-82 years at baseline, 910 (85.9%) with bilateral gradable fundus photographs and complete data for the carotenoids and potential confounders were included. The Rotterdam classification system was used for definition of ARM stages. Multivariate linear regression methods were applied to model the relationship between macular carotenoids and the presence of ARM. Results: The participants’mean age was 70.9+5.5 years, 59.9%were female, 20.8%had a normal bilateral fundus,and 48.5%showed signs of early ARM (uni-or bilateral) and 30.7%of late ARM (in at least one eye). In study participants with L and/or Z supplementatio n (15.6%), the median serum levels for L (Z)-were approximately 2 times (1.5 times) higher than in subjects with no supplementation. After exclusion of subjects with L and/or Z supplementation, no statistically significant bivariate relationship was observed between the serum levels of L or Z and the presence of ARM. Multivariate regression models, adjusting for age, gender, smoking, body-mass index, and HDL-choles- terol blood levels, produced adjusted mean serum levels of 0.124, 0.112, and 0.131 μg/ml for L and 0.019, 0.020, and 0.022 μg/ml for Z in subjects with normal fundus, early ARM, and late ARM, respectively. Conclusion: In this large stud y, the serum concentrations of L and Z were not related to the prevalence of ARM. However, the large proportion of study participants taking L and/or Z suppleme ntationmay have affected these results. Background: It has been hypothesized that the macular carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, may protect against age-related maculopathy. We evaluated the association between blood concentrations of lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) and age-related maculopathy (ARM) in a case-control analysis of the baseline examination of the Muenster Aging and Retina Study (MARS). Methods: Of the 1060 participants aged 59-82 years at baseline, 910 (85.9%) with bilateral gradable fundus photographs and complete data for the carotenoids and The Rotterdam classification system was used for definition of ARM stages. Multivariate linear regression methods were applied to model the relationship between macular carotenoids and the presence of ARM. Results: The participants’ memorial age was 70.9 + 5.5 years, 59.9 % were female, 20.8% had a normal bilateral fundus, and 48.5% showed signs of early ARM (uni-or bilateral) and 30.7% of late ARM (at least one eye). In study participants wit After incubation with subjects with L and / or Z supplementation (15.6%), the median serum levels for L (Z) -were approximately 2 times (1.5 times) higher than in subjects with no supplementation. , noomal significant bivariate relationship was observed between the serum levels of L or Z and the presence of ARM. Multivariate regression models, adjusting for age, gender, smoking, body mass index, and HDL-cholestery blood levels, produced adjusted mean serum levels of 0.124, 0.112, and 0.131 μg / ml for L and 0.019, 0.020, and 0.022 μg / ml for Z in subjects with normal fundus, early ARM, and late ARM, respectively. Conclusion: In this large stud y, the serum concentrations of L and Z were not related to the prevalence of ARM. However, the large proportion of study participants taking L and / or Z supplementation has these effects.