Common age-related eye diseases and visual impairment

Author(s):  
Jacqueline Chua ◽  
Ching-Yu Cheng ◽  
Tien Yin Wong

General physicians have an essential role in preventing vision loss in older people. However, most vision-threatening eye disorders are initially asymptomatic and often go underdiagnosed. Therefore screening, early detection, and timely intervention are important in their management. The most common cause of visual impairment is uncorrected or undercorrected refractive error, followed by cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Spectacles and cataract surgery can successfully restore sight for uncorrected refractive error and cataract, respectively. Visual impairment as a result of age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with appropriate treatment if they are identified early enough. This chapter provides an overview of common age-related eye disease and visual impairment.

Author(s):  
Jacqueline Chua ◽  
Ching-Yu Cheng ◽  
Tien Yin Wong

General physicians have an essential role in preventing vision loss in older people. However, most vision-threatening eye disorders are initially asymptomatic and often go underdiagnosed. Therefore, screening, early detection, and timely intervention are important in their management. The most common cause of visual impairment is uncorrected or under-corrected refractive error, followed by cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Spectacles and cataract surgery can successfully restore sight for uncorrected refractive error and cataract, respectively. Visual impairment as a result of age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy can be prevented with appropriate treatment if they are identified early enough. This chapter provides an overview of common age-related eye disease and visual impairment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 103 (7) ◽  
pp. 863-870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rim Kahloun ◽  
Moncef Khairallah ◽  
Serge Resnikoff ◽  
Maria Vittoria Cicinelli ◽  
Seth R Flaxman ◽  
...  

BackgroundTo assess the prevalence and causes of vision impairment in North Africa and the Middle East (NAME) from 1990 to 2015 and to forecast projections for 2020.MethodsBased on a systematic review of medical literature, the prevalence of blindness (presenting visual acuity (PVA) <3/60 in the better eye), moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI; PVA <6/18 but ≥3/60) and mild vision impairment (PVA <6/12 but ≥6/18) was estimated for 2015 and 2020.ResultsThe age-standardised prevalence of blindness and MSVI for all ages and genders decreased from 1990 to 2015, from 1.72 (0.53–3.13) to 0.95% (0.32%–1.71%), and from 6.66 (3.09–10.69) to 4.62% (2.21%–7.33%), respectively, with slightly higher figures for women than men. Cataract was the most common cause of blindness in 1990 and 2015, followed by uncorrected refractive error. Uncorrected refractive error was the leading cause of MSVI in the NAME region in 1990 and 2015, followed by cataract. A reduction in the proportions of blindness and MSVI due to cataract, corneal opacity and trachoma is predicted by 2020. Conversely, an increase in the proportion of blindness attributable to uncorrected refractive error, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy is expected.ConclusionsIn 2015 cataract and uncorrected refractive error were the major causes of vision loss in the NAME region. Proportions of vision impairment from cataract, corneal opacity and trachoma are expected to decrease by 2020, and those from uncorrected refractive error, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration are predicted to increase by 2020.


2013 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
K.S. Naidoo ◽  
D Sweeney ◽  
J Jaggernath ◽  
B. Holden

A cross-sectional, population-based, epidemiological study of blindness and visual impairment was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of vision loss and various sight-threatening conditions in the Lower Tugela health district of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. This study was conducted on a randomly selected sample of 3444 individuals from the district. This number represented 84% of those who were visited and 80.1% of the total sample selected. The participants ranged in age from 5 to 93 years (mean of 29.2 years and a median of 20.0 years). The proportion of men to women differed between participants aged <30 years and those aged >30 years. In both age groups, women represented the majority of participants (66.5%), but the number of women to men in the older age group was approximately twice that found in the group aged less than 30 years. The difference in age between the men and women in the study was not statistically significant (p >0.5). The study revealed that 6.4% of the population studied were visually impaired. The distribution of uncorrected visual acuity was better for women than for men for both OD and OS (p = 0.000 for OD and OS). The main causes of visual impairment were refractive error (44.5%), cataract (31.2%), glaucoma (6.0%), hypertensive retinopathy (4.1%) and diabetic retinopathy (4.1%). Unilateral blindness (OD) was present in 0.78% (95% Confidence interval (CI): 0.42%-1.14%) of participants and unilateral blindness (OS) was present in 1.1% (95% CI: 0.70%-1.50%). Thirty-one participants (0.9%) were bilaterally blind with the main causes being cataracts (54.8%) and refractive error (12.9%). Glaucoma and hypertensive retinopathy were responsible for 6.4% of ..bilateral blindness. Diabetic retinopathy, other retinal conditions (coloboma) and corneal scarring were each responsible for 3.2% of bilateral blindness. Albinism, coloboma and age-related macular degeneration accounted for 9.7% of bilateral blindness. The data provides much needed information to support the planning of eye care programs in KwaZulu-Natal.  (S Afr Optom 2013 72(3) 110-118)


2019 ◽  
Vol 104 (5) ◽  
pp. 616-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Yu Cheng ◽  
Ningli Wang ◽  
Tien Y Wong ◽  
Nathan Congdon ◽  
Mingguang He ◽  
...  

BackgroundTo determine the prevalence and causes of blindness and vision impairment (VI) in East Asia in 2015 and to forecast the trend to 2020.MethodsThrough a systematic literature review and meta-analysis, we estimated prevalence of blindness (presenting visual acuity <3/60 in the better eye), moderate-to-severe vision impairment (MSVI; 3/60≤presenting visual acuity <6/18), mild vision impairment (mild VI: 6/18≤presenting visual acuity <6/12) and uncorrected presbyopia for 1990, 2010, 2015 and 2020. A total of 44 population-based studies were included.ResultsIn 2015, age-standardised prevalence of blindness, MSVI, mild VI and uncorrected presbyopia was 0.37% (80% uncertainty interval (UI) 0.12%–0.68%), 3.06% (80% UI 1.35%–5.16%) and 2.65% (80% UI 0.92%–4.91%), 32.91% (80% UI 18.72%–48.47%), respectively, in East Asia. Cataract was the leading cause of blindness (43.6%), followed by uncorrected refractive error (12.9%), glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, corneal diseases, trachoma and diabetic retinopathy (DR). The leading cause for MSVI was uncorrected refractive error, followed by cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, corneal disease, trachoma and DR. The burden of VI due to uncorrected refractive error, cataracts, glaucoma and DR has continued to rise over the decades reported.ConclusionsAddressing the public healthcare barriers for cataract and uncorrected refractive error can help eliminate almost 57% of all blindness cases in this region. Therefore, public healthcare efforts should be focused on effective screening and effective patient education, with access to high-quality healthcare.


2018 ◽  
Vol 102 (5) ◽  
pp. 575-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rupert R A Bourne ◽  
Jost B Jonas ◽  
Alain M Bron ◽  
Maria Vittoria Cicinelli ◽  
Aditi Das ◽  
...  

BackgroundWithin a surveillance of the prevalence and causes of vision impairment in high-income regions and Central/Eastern Europe, we update figures through 2015 and forecast expected values in 2020.MethodsBased on a systematic review of medical literature, prevalence of blindness, moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI), mild vision impairment and presbyopia was estimated for 1990, 2010, 2015, and 2020.ResultsAge-standardised prevalence of blindness and MSVI for all ages decreased from 1990 to 2015 from 0.26% (0.10–0.46) to 0.15% (0.06–0.26) and from 1.74% (0.76–2.94) to 1.27% (0.55–2.17), respectively. In 2015, the number of individuals affected by blindness, MSVI and mild vision impairment ranged from 70 000, 630 000 and 610 000, respectively, in Australasia to 980 000, 7.46 million and 7.25 million, respectively, in North America and 1.16 million, 9.61 million and 9.47 million, respectively, in Western Europe. In 2015, cataract was the most common cause for blindness, followed by age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, uncorrected refractive error, diabetic retinopathy and cornea-related disorders, with declining burden from cataract and AMD over time. Uncorrected refractive error was the leading cause of MSVI.ConclusionsWhile continuing to advance control of cataract and AMD as the leading causes of blindness remains a high priority, overcoming barriers to uptake of refractive error services would address approximately half of the MSVI burden. New data on burden of presbyopia identify this entity as an important public health problem in this population. Additional research on better treatments, better implementation with existing tools and ongoing surveillance of the problem is needed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 103 (7) ◽  
pp. 871-877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinay Nangia ◽  
Jost B Jonas ◽  
Ronnie George ◽  
Vijaya Lingam ◽  
Leon Ellwein ◽  
...  

BackgroundTo assess prevalence and causes of vision loss in Central and South Asia.MethodsA systematic review of medical literature assessed the prevalence of blindness (presenting visual acuity<3/60 in the better eye), moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI; presenting visual acuity <6/18 but ≥3/60) and mild vision impairment (MVI; presenting visual acuity <6/12 and ≥6/18) in Central and South Asia for 1990, 2010, 2015 and 2020.ResultsIn Central and South Asia combined, age-standardised prevalences of blindness, MSVI and MVI in 2015 were for men and women aged 50+years, 3.72% (80% uncertainty interval (UI): 1.39–6.75) and 4.00% (80% UI: 1.41–7.39), 16.33% (80% UI: 8.55–25.47) and 17.65% (80% UI: 9.00–27.62), 11.70% (80% UI: 4.70–20.32) and 12.25% (80% UI:4.86–21.30), respectively, with a significant decrease in the study period for both gender. In South Asia in 2015, 11.76 million individuals (32.65% of the global blindness figure) were blind and 61.19 million individuals (28.3% of the global total) had MSVI. From 1990 to 2015, cataract (accounting for 36.58% of all cases with blindness in 2015) was the most common cause of blindness, followed by undercorrected refractive error (36.43%), glaucoma (5.81%), age-related macular degeneration (2.44%), corneal diseases (2.43%), diabetic retinopathy (0.16%) and trachoma (0.04%). For MSVI in South Asia 2015, most common causes were undercorrected refractive error (accounting for 66.39% of all cases with MSVI), followed by cataract (23.62%), age-related macular degeneration (1.31%) and glaucoma (1.09%).ConclusionsOne-third of the global blind resided in South Asia in 2015, although the age-standardised prevalence of blindness and MSVI decreased significantly between 1990 and 2015.


2018 ◽  
Vol 103 (7) ◽  
pp. 878-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Elizabeth Keeffe ◽  
Robert J Casson ◽  
Konrad Pesudovs ◽  
Hugh R Taylor ◽  
Maria Vittoria Cicinelli ◽  
...  

BackgroundTo assess prevalence and causes of vision impairment in South-east Asia and Oceania regions from 1990 to 2015 and to forecast the figures for 2020.MethodsBased on a systematic review of medical literature, prevalence of blindness (presenting visual acuity (PVA) <3/60 in the better eye), moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI; PVA <6/18 but ≥3/60), mild vision impairment (PVA <6/12 but ≥6/18) and near vision impairment (>N5 or N8 in the presence of normal vision) were estimated for 1990, 2010, 2015 and 2020.ResultsThe age-standardised prevalence of blindness for all ages and both genders was higher in the Oceania region but lower for MSVI when comparing the subregions. The prevalence of near vision impairment in people≥50 years was 41% (uncertainty interval (UI) 18.8 to 65.9). Comparison of the data for 2015 with 2020 predicts a small increase in the numbers of people affected by blindness, MSVI and mild VI in both subregions. The numbers predicted for near VI in South-east Asia are from 90.68 million in 2015 to 102.88 million in 2020. The main causes of blindness and MSVI in both subregions in 2015 were cataract, uncorrected refractive error, glaucoma, corneal disease and age-related macular degeneration. There was no trachoma in Oceania from 1990 and decreasing prevalence in South-east Asia with elimination predicted by 2020.ConclusionsIn both regions, the main challenges for eye care come from cataract which remains the main cause of blindness with uncorrected refractive error the main cause of MSVI. The trend between 1990 and 2015 is for a lower prevalence of blindness and MSVI in both regions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000774
Author(s):  
Minwei Wang ◽  
Shiqi Su ◽  
Shaoyun Jiang ◽  
Xinghuai Sun ◽  
Jiantao Wang

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common eye disease in elderly patients, which could lead to irreversible vision loss and blindness. Increasing evidence indicates that amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) might be associated with the pathogenesis of AMD. In this review, we would like to summarise the current findings in this field. The literature search was done from 1995 to Feb, 2021 with following keywords, ‘Amyloid β-peptide and age-related macular degeneration’, ‘Inflammation and age-related macular degeneration’, ‘Angiogenesis and age-related macular degeneration’, ‘Actin cytoskeleton and amyloid β-peptide’, ‘Mitochondrial dysfunction and amyloid β-peptide’, ‘Ribosomal dysregulation and amyloid β-peptide’ using search engines Pubmed, Google Scholar and Web of Science. Aβ congregates in subretinal drusen of patients with AMD and participates in the pathogenesis of AMD through enhancing inflammatory activity, inducing mitochondrial dysfunction, altering ribosomal function, regulating the lysosomal pathway, affecting RNA splicing, modulating angiogenesis and modifying cell structure in AMD. The methods targeting Aβ are shown to inhibit inflammatory signalling pathway and restore the function of retinal pigment epithelium cells and photoreceptor cells in the subretinal region. Targeting Aβ may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for AMD.


Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yamin Li ◽  
Lina Liang ◽  
Torkel Snellingen ◽  
Kai Xu ◽  
Yun Gao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss and blindness among the older people aged 50 and over. Although anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapies have resulted in improving patient outcomes, there are limitations associated with these treatments. In China, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat eye diseases for more than 2000 years. Previous studies have shown that TCM may be beneficial for nAMD patients. However, explicit evidence has not been obtained. The purpose of the present trial is to examine the efficacy and safety of the Mingjing granule, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, for nAMD patients. Methods/design This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of Mingjing granule as an add-on to intravitreous ranibizumab for nAMD. One hundred eighty nAMD patients from six hospitals in China will be enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and randomly allocated into two groups, 90 in each. All participants will receive a 24-week treatment and then be followed up for another 24 weeks. The primary outcome is the mean change of best-corrected visual acuity at week 24 and 48 as compared to the baseline. The secondary outcomes include mean change in central retinal thickness, area of retinal hemorrhage and exudation, and TCM syndrome score, mean number of intravitreal ranibizumab injection, and total cost of the treatment. Indexes of safety include blood regular test, urine regular test, liver function test, renal function test, and electrocardiogram from baseline to weeks 24 and 48. Qualitative control and some standard operating processes will be formed throughout the trial. Any ocular or systemic adverse events will be treated suitably, and related data will be recorded accurately and completely in the case report form. Discussion Based on previous empirical and animal laboratory studies, this study will address the question of whether Mingjing granule could contribute to improving efficacy, safety, and efficiency with need for fewer intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF, improving compliance and visual outcomes in the management of persons with nAMD. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn), ChiCTR2000035990. Registered on 21 August 2020.


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