DNA was extracted from whole blood using standardized protocols. Blood was drawn via venipuncture and DNA extraction was extracted from whole blood using the Pure Gene method and standard protocols [48 ] and frozen at –80 ºC until use. Genotyping was performed at Vanderbilt University’s Center for Human Genetics Research. The Sequenom MassARRAY genotyping platform (Sequenom, San Diego, CA) was used to genotype samples at 19 common (MAF>1%) SNVs significantly associated with the risk of advanced AMD in a GWAS meta-analysis (Appendix 1) [35 (link)].