Age-related changes in baseline reading acuity and speed as measured using RADNER Reading Charts in healthy eyes with best corrected ETDRS distance acuity.

PURPOSE: To assess age-related differences in baseline measures of reading performance obtained from the RADNER Reading Charts in healthy eyes with best corrected (ETDRS) distance acuity.
METHODS: Cross-sectional study of participants (n=200) aged 25-74 years (n=20 per 5 years age group). Best corrected distance visual acuity was measured monocularly with ETDRS 2000 Charts. Reading performance was evaluated binocularly with the RADNER Reading Charts. Reading acuity (RA), reading acuity score (RA score), mean reading speed (MEAN-RS), maximum reading speed, reading speed with a long paragraph, critical print size (CPS) and the logMAR/logRAD ratio were analysed.
RESULTS: RA, RA score, CPS-1 (last logRAD with normal reading speed) and ETDRS acuity did not change significantly between age 25 and 54 years. Overall, the mean RA was -0.091±0.07 logRAD, and the RA score was -0.069±0.07 logRAD. The mean difference between the RA and best ETDRS acuity was 0.0603±0.055 logMAR (r=0.62; p<0.05). The logMAR/logRAD ratio was 87.75%±11.23%. The MEAN-RS ranged from 189±21.9 words per minute (wpm) for the group aged 70-74 years to 236±22.5 wpm for the group aged 40-44 years and correlated well with the long paragraph results (r=0.87).
CONCLUSION: Best corrected RA, reading speed and ETDRS distance acuity were constant until the age of 54 years. An age-related break point was found between the groups aged 50-54 years and 55-59 years; for reading speed, the break point can be assumed to be within the age range of 50-54 years. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.