Further studies have reported a direct link between elevated levels of FHR-1 and FHR-5 and a higher risk for AMD and progression to later stages of disease36,37, with Mendelian randomization analyses demonstrating a link between cis-regulatory GWAS variants, elevated FHR-5 levels and higher risk for advanced AMD36,37. Here, CFHR1 is linked to age-related macular degeneration.