Cécile Delcourt1, Mélanie Le Goff2, Therese von Hanno3, Alireza Mirshahi4, Anthony P Khawaja5, Virginie J M Verhoeven6, Ruth E Hogg7, Eleftherios Anastosopoulos8, Maria Luz Cachulo9, René Höhn10, Christian Wolfram11, Alain Bron12, Stefania Miotto13, Isabelle Carrière14, Johanna M Colijn6, Gabriëlle H S Buitendijk6, Jennifer Evans15, Dorothea Nitsch15, Panayiota Founti8, Jennifer L Y Yip16, Norbert Pfeiffer11, Catherine Creuzot-Garcher12, Rufino Silva17, Stefano Piermarocchi18, Fotis Topouzis8, Geir Bertelsen19, Paul J Foster20, Astrid Fletcher15, Caroline C W Klaver6, Jean-François Korobelnik21. 1. Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Team LEHA, Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1219, INSERM, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France. Electronic address: cecile.delcourt@u-bordeaux.fr. 2. Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Team LEHA, Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1219, INSERM, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France. 3. UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; Department of Ophthalmology, Nordland Hospital, Bodø, Norway. 4. Dardenne Eye Clinic, Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Bonn, Germany; Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany. 5. Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. 6. Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 7. Centre for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland. 8. Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. 9. Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal. 10. Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. 11. Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany. 12. Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and Nutrition Research Group, University Hospital, Dijon, France. 13. Department of Ophthalmology, Camposampiero Hospital, Camposiero, Italy. 14. U1061, Inserm, Montpellier, France; Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. 15. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom. 16. Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom. 17. Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal; Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (AIBILI), Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. 18. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. 19. Department of Ophthalmology, Nordland Hospital, Bodø, Norway; University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway. 20. Integrative Epidemiology, University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom. 21. Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Team LEHA, Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1219, INSERM, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Service d'Ophtalmologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
Abstract
TOPIC: To estimate the prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment and blindness in European persons 55 years of age and older. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Few visual impairment and blindness prevalence estimates are available for the European population. In addition, many of the data collected in European population-based studies currently are unpublished and have not been included in previous estimates. METHODS: Fourteen European population-based studies participating in the European Eye Epidemiology Consortium (n = 70 723) were included. Each study provided nonrefractive visual impairment and blindness prevalence estimates stratified by age (10-year strata) and gender. Nonrefractive visual impairment and blindness were defined as best-corrected visual acuity worse than 20/60 and 20/400 in the better eye, respectively. Using random effects meta-analysis, prevalence rates were estimated according to age, gender, geographical area, and period (1991-2006 and 2007-2012). Because no data were available for Central and Eastern Europe, population projections for numbers of affected people were estimated using Eurostat population estimates for European high-income countries in 2000 and 2010. RESULTS: The age-standardized prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment in people 55 years of age or older decreased from 2.22% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34-3.10) from 1991 through 2006 to 0.92% (95% CI, 0.42-1.42) from 2007 through 2012. It strongly increased with age in both periods (up to 15.69% and 4.39% in participants 85 years of age or older from 1991 through 2006 and from 2007 through 2012, respectively). Age-standardized prevalence of visual impairment tended to be higher in women than men from 1991 through 2006 (2.67% vs. 1.88%), but not from 2007 through 2012 (0.87% vs. 0.88%). No differences were observed between northern, western, and southern regions of Europe. The projected numbers of affected older inhabitants in European high-income countries decreased from 2.5 million affected individuals in 2000 to 1.2 million in 2010. Of those, 584 000 were blind in 2000, in comparison with 170 000 who were blind in 2010. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the increase in the European older population, our study indicated that the number of visually impaired people has decreased in European high-income countries in the last 20 years. This may be the result of major improvements in eye care and prevention, the decreasing prevalence of eye diseases, or both.
TOPIC: To estimate the prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment and blindness in European persons 55 years of age and older. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Few visual impairment and blindness prevalence estimates are available for the European population. In addition, many of the data collected in European population-based studies currently are unpublished and have not been included in previous estimates. METHODS: Fourteen European population-based studies participating in the European Eye Epidemiology Consortium (n = 70 723) were included. Each study provided nonrefractive visual impairment and blindness prevalence estimates stratified by age (10-year strata) and gender. Nonrefractive visual impairment and blindness were defined as best-corrected visual acuity worse than 20/60 and 20/400 in the better eye, respectively. Using random effects meta-analysis, prevalence rates were estimated according to age, gender, geographical area, and period (1991-2006 and 2007-2012). Because no data were available for Central and Eastern Europe, population projections for numbers of affected people were estimated using Eurostat population estimates for European high-income countries in 2000 and 2010. RESULTS: The age-standardized prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment in people 55 years of age or older decreased from 2.22% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34-3.10) from 1991 through 2006 to 0.92% (95% CI, 0.42-1.42) from 2007 through 2012. It strongly increased with age in both periods (up to 15.69% and 4.39% in participants 85 years of age or older from 1991 through 2006 and from 2007 through 2012, respectively). Age-standardized prevalence of visual impairment tended to be higher in women than men from 1991 through 2006 (2.67% vs. 1.88%), but not from 2007 through 2012 (0.87% vs. 0.88%). No differences were observed between northern, western, and southern regions of Europe. The projected numbers of affected older inhabitants in European high-income countries decreased from 2.5 million affected individuals in 2000 to 1.2 million in 2010. Of those, 584 000 were blind in 2000, in comparison with 170 000 who were blind in 2010. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the increase in the European older population, our study indicated that the number of visually impaired people has decreased in European high-income countries in the last 20 years. This may be the result of major improvements in eye care and prevention, the decreasing prevalence of eye diseases, or both.
Authors: Jack J W A van Loon; Patrick Cras; Willem H A C M Bouwens; Willemijn Roozendaal; Joan Vernikos Journal: Front Physiol Date: 2020-05-08 Impact factor: 4.566
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