Drusen are predominantly composed of lipids and proteins, and these deposits may interact with other lipids or proteins such as the complement complex in the disease progression pathway.[17] Advanced AMD is associated with variants in the hepatic lipase gene (LIPC) in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) pathway.[18] However, the inconsistent direction of effects between other HDL-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and AMD suggests a complex relationship between HDL and AMD. The gene discussed is LIPC; the disease is age-related macular degeneration.