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Abstract #58904 Published in IGR 16-3
Baseline risk factors for incidence of blindness in a South Indian population: the chennai eye disease incidence study
Vijaya L; Asokan R; Panday M; Choudhari NS; Ramesh SV; Velumuri L; Boddupalli SD; Sunil GT; George RInvestigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 2014; 55: 5545-5550
PURPOSE: To report the baseline risk factors and causes for incident blindness. METHODS: Six years after the baseline study, 4419 subjects from the cohort underwent a detailed examination at the base hospital. Incident blindness was defined by World Health Organization criteria as visual acuity of less than 6/120 (3/60) and/or a visual field of less than 10° in the better-seeing eye at the 6-year follow-up, provided that the eye had a visual acuity of better than or equal to 6/120 (3/60) and visual field greater than 10° at baseline. For incident monocular blindness, both eyes should have visual acuity of more than 6/120 (3/60) at baseline and developed visual acuity of less than 6/120 (3/60) in one eye at 6-year follow-up. RESULTS: For incident blindness, 21 participants (0.48%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3-0.7) became blind; significant baseline risk factors were increasing age (P = 0.001), smokeless tobacco use (P < 0.001), and no history of cataract surgery (P = 0.02). Incident monocular blindness was found in 132 participants (3.8%, 95% CI, 3.7-3.8); it was significantly more (P < 0.001) in the rural population (5.4%, 95% CI, 5.4-5.5) than in the urban population (1.9%, 95% CI, 1.8-1.9). Baseline risk factors (P < 0.001) were increasing age and rural residence, and no history of cataract surgery was a protective factor (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing age was a significant risk factor for blindness and monocular blindness. No history of cataract surgery was a risk factor for blindness and a protective factor for monocular blindness.
Glaucoma Project, Medical and Vision Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India.
Full articleClassification:
1.1 Epidemiology (Part of: 1 General aspects)
1.5 Glaucomas as cause of blindness (Part of: 1 General aspects)