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Editors Selection IGR 8-2

Epidemiology

Comment by Tetsuya Yamamoto on:

14066 Prevalence and clinical characteristics of glaucoma in adult Chinese: a population-based study in Liwan District, Guangzhou, He M; Foster PJ; Ge J et al., Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 2006; 47: 2782-2788

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This epidemiological study by He et al. (618) was conducted in Guangzhou, a southern city in China. I believe that this is the first glaucoma survey conducted in China based on the classification of the ISGEO (International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology). Method of subject sampling was fine and the participation rate was 75.3%. Tonopen was used for IOP measurement. Slit-lamp examination and gonioscopy was performed by a single experienced ophthalmologist.

The prevalence of all glaucoma was 3.8% including 2.1% of POAG and 1.5% of PACG in the Liwan district in Guangzhou

The optic disc was evaluated using a +78D lens without dilatation and no disc photographs were taken. Visual field testing was performed only in suspected glaucomatous disc damage. The authors found that the prevalence of all glaucoma was 3.8% including 2.1% of POAG and 1.5% of PACG. In a previous study conducted in Beijing, China (Zhao et al., 1990), the prevalence of PACG was 1.66% and that of POAG was only 0.29%. Clearly, there is a discrepancy between the two studies in the prevalence of POAG. I believe that this was mainly caused by the different methodology of ocular examinations employed.

As discussed in this article, OAG seems to be prevalent in the Chinese population and hence it is a significant health problem. Although not stated in this article, the prevalence of POAG in Japan was reported to be 3.9% (Iwase et al., Ophthalmology, 2004). Thus, I suspect that OAG might be more prevalent in many Asian ethnic groups. In this regard, additional epidemiological survey will be needed in Asia. Open-angle glaucoma will eventually be a more important glaucoma subtype in many Asian countries as well as in Japan and the Western countries.

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