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PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence and types of glaucoma in a rural population in northern China. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects randomly selected from the population 40 years of age and older in Kailu County, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia. METHODS: Each subject underwent a screening examination consisting of an interview and ophthalmic examinations, including applanation tonometry, central corneal thickness, gonioscopy, slit-lamp examination, dilated fundus evaluation, and a screening visual field test using frequency-doubling technology. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Glaucoma was diagnosed using International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology criteria. RESULTS: Of 5949 individuals 40 years of age and older, 5197 (87.36%) were examined. Of these, 169 (3.28%) had diagnosed glaucoma, giving an age- and gender-standardized prevalence of 2.90% (95% confidence interval, 2.02%-3.78%). The age- and gender-standardized prevalence of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) was 1.42% (95% confidence interval, 0.82%-2.02%) and that for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) was 1.41% (95% confidence interval, 0.79%-2.02%). Of the 169 subjects with glaucoma, 54 (60%) and 3 (4.1%) had a previous known history of PACG or POAG, respectively. Unilateral blindness resulting from primary glaucoma was observed in 27 subjects (16.56%; 19 PACG/8 POAG), and bilateral blindness was present in 12 subjects (7.36%; 6 PACG/6 POAG). The prevalence of all types of glaucoma was increased with older age. CONCLUSIONS: The adjusted prevalence of glaucoma in this Chinese population was 2.90%, comparable with other data from Asia. The ratio of PACG to POAG was approximately equal. More than 90% of POAG cases previously were undetected, and nearly 30% of subjects with glaucoma were blind in at least 1 eye. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Department of Ophthalmology, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, P.R. China.
1.1 Epidemiology (Part of: 1 General aspects)