TY  - GEN
AU  - Weih, LeAnn M.
AU  - VanNewkirk, Mylan R.
AU  - McCarty, Catherine A.
AU  - Taylor, Hugh R.
Y2  - 2014/05/22
Y1  - 2000/02
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/11343/33456
AB  - Objectives: To describe the age-specific prevalence of common eye diseases causing bilateral visual impairment and estimate the total number of Australians with cause-specific visual impairment.
                        
                    Methods: Cluster-stratified random sample of 5147 residents aged 40 years and older from urban and rural areas and aged-care facilities. Participants completed a standardized interview and eye examination. Four levels of bilateral visual impairment were defined: less than 20/40 to 20/60 and/or homonymous hemianopia (mild), less than 20/60 to 20/200 or better and/or less than 20° to 10° radius field (moderate), less than 20/200 to 10/200 and/or less than 10° to 5° radius field (severe), and less than 101 200 and/or less than 5° radius field (profound). The major cause of vision loss was identified for all participants found to be visually impaired.
                        
                    Results: Uncorrected refractive error was the most common cause of bilateral visual impairment across all decades of life, rising from 0.5% in 40- to 49- year-olds to 13% among those aged 80 years and older. Prevalence of visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy was 0.7% in 50- to 59- year-olds and 0.8% in those older than 80 years. Visual impairment due to glaucoma had a prevalence of 0.7% among 60-year-olds and rose to 4% of those older than 90 years. The prevalence of visual impairment due to cataract (only present in those aged 70 years or older) rose from 0.6% to 11% in those older than 90 years, and the prevalence of visual impairment due to age related macular degeneration rose from 0.8% to 16% in those older than 90 years.
                        
                    Conclusions: The predominant causes of visual impairment change with age. Recognition of these patterns is fundamental for early diagnosis and treatment of eye disease and, where appropriate, referral for rehabilitation.
N1  - application/pdf
LA  - eng
PB  - American Medical Association
KW  - CERA
KW  - ophthalmology
KW  - Centre for Eye Research Australia
KW  - eye research
KW  - vision
KW  - visual health
T1  - Age-specific causes of bilateral visual impairment
IS  - Archives of Ophthalmology
VL  - 118
SP  - 264-269
L1  - /bitstream/handle/11343/33456/65548_00002594_01_agespe~1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=n
ER  -