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Abstract #9657 Published in IGR 5-3
Causes of visual impairment in two older population cross-sections: the Blue Mountains Eye Study
Foran S; Wang JJ; Mitchell POphthalmic Epidemiology 2003; 10: 215-225
AIMS: To describe the causes of bilateral and unilateral blindness and visual impairment in two cross-sections of an older Australian population six years apart. METHODS: The Blue Mountains Eye Study examined 3654 persons aged 49-97 years during 1992-1994 (population cross-section 1). Cohort survivors (2335) and 1174 persons who moved to the area or reached an eligible age were examined during 1997-2000, a total of 3509 persons (population cross-section 2). LogMAR visual acuity was measured after standardized refraction. Blindness and visual impairment were respectively defined by visual acuity < 6/60 and < 6/12. Causes were determined for the two temporal cross-sections. RESULTS: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was the principal cause of bilateral and unilateral non-correctable blindness in both cross-sections. AMD caused 77% of bilateral blindness in cross-section 1 and 50% in cross-section 2. Cataract, glaucoma, corneal and neurological disease were next equally frequent causes (6% each) of bilateral blindness in cross-section 1. In cross-section 2, cataract ranked as the third most frequent principal cause (10%) after other retinal diseases (40%). The proportion of unilateral blindness with AMD as principal cause was very similar (around one-third of cases) in the two cross-sections; while in cross-section 2 blindness was less frequently caused by cataract (19 versus 13%). Cataract was the principal cause of both bilateral and unilateral visual impairment, responsible for 50% of bilateral (better eye) and 35-40% of unilateral (worse eye) impairment, with slightly lower rates found in cross-section 2 than in cross-section 1. AMD was consistently the second most frequent cause, causing one-third of bilateral and one-fifth of unilateral visual impairment. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate a relative stable pattern of causes for blindness and visual impairment, with AMD and cataract, respectively, dominating these two levels.
Dr. P. Mitchell, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sydney, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
Classification:
1.5 Glaucomas as cause of blindness (Part of: 1 General aspects)
