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Abstract #99108 Published in IGR 22-4
Time trends of etiologies of blindness in Israel 2009-2020 - have methods to decrease leading causes of blindness been exhausted?
Israeli A; Peer H; Gleitman I; Falick Y; Mezer EAmerican Journal of Ophthalmology 2022; 240: 149-158
PURPOSE: To perform a nationwide analysis of trends in the incidence of Etiologies for legal blindness in Israel during 2009-2020, and compare the results with the previous decade. DESIGN: Descriptive, retrospective population-based trend study. METHODS: Data were retrieved from The Israeli National Registry of the Blind during 2009-2020. Data obtained included demographics, years of registration, and causes. Primary and secondary outcomes were incidence of new certified blindness cases and its comparison with the previous decade, respectively. RESULTS: The age-standardized incidence rate of blindness in Israel decreased from 15.76 per 100,000 residents in 2009 to 11.83 in 2020, a 24.9% drop. The mean annual decline was evident until 2013 (p<0.001, 6.15%), but subsequently flattened (p=0.71, 0.42%). Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, optic atrophy, and cataract decreased until 2014, and reached a plateau that was maintained until the end of the study period. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) incidence rates diminished throughout the decade (p<0.001, 9.2%), with attenuation of the rate of decline after 2014. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of efforts to reduce the incidence of preventable causes of blindness may have nearly reached saturation for most of the leading causes of blindness in Israel: AMD, glaucoma and cataract. Incidence of DR has been maintained; however, attenuation has been observed. New modalities to detect and treat these causes may have to emerge before a resurgence of improvement can occur.
The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa. Electronic address: asafisraeli@gmail.com.
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