Hisham Elbaz1,2,3, Andreas Schulz4, Katharina A Ponto1,5, Stefan Nickels1, Norbert Pfeiffer6, Alireza Mirshahi1,7, Tunde Peto8,9. 1. Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany. 2. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 3. Ophthalmology Department of the Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany. 4. Preventive Cardiology and Preventive Medicine/Center for Cardiology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany. 5. Center for Thrombosis and Hemsostasis (CTH), University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany. 6. Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany. norbert.pfeiffer@unimedizin-mainz.de. 7. Dardenne Eye Hospital, Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Germany. 8. NIHR Biomedical Research Center at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK. 9. Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To estimate the prevalence of posterior segment eye lesions and to identify their ocular and systemic associations within the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS) in Germany. METHODS: Assessment and grading of fundus images as well as physical examination and history taking were performed in the cross-sectional analysis of 15,010 subjects (aged 35-74 years) using standardised procedures to determine the prevalence and associations of various posterior segment eye lesions. RESULTS: Fundus photographs of both eyes were available for 12,782 (85.2%; 50% female) subjects. The prevalence weighted to the region of Mainz and Mainz-Bingen in Germany was for choroidal nevi 2.4%, drusen of the optic nerve head 0.2%, tilted discs 1.5%, chorioretinal scars suggestive of toxoplasmosis 0.2%, retinitis pigmentosa 0.04% and persistent hyaloid artery 0.02%. Choroidal nevi were positively associated with a history of myocardial infarction (OR = 2.7, 95% confidence interval 1.2-6.2, p value = 0.017). Tilted discs were positively associated with increased intraocular pressure (OR = 1.09 per mm Hg (1.02-1.16), p = 0.011) and negatively associated with smoking (OR 0.4 (0.3-0.7), p = 0.0022). Participants with tilted discs had a mean spherical equivalent of - 3.6 dioptres (standard deviation 4.0) compared with - 0.4 dioptres (2.4) to those without. CONCLUSION: Our study is-to the best of our knowledge-the first to determine the prevalence of drusen of optic nerve head among Caucasians, to show a positive association between tilted discs and increased intraocular pressure and questions a possible link between choroidal nevi and myocardial infarction. It also showed that participants with tilted discs had a lower mean spherical equivalent than those without.
BACKGROUND: To estimate the prevalence of posterior segment eye lesions and to identify their ocular and systemic associations within the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS) in Germany. METHODS: Assessment and grading of fundus images as well as physical examination and history taking were performed in the cross-sectional analysis of 15,010 subjects (aged 35-74 years) using standardised procedures to determine the prevalence and associations of various posterior segment eye lesions. RESULTS: Fundus photographs of both eyes were available for 12,782 (85.2%; 50% female) subjects. The prevalence weighted to the region of Mainz and Mainz-Bingen in Germany was for choroidal nevi 2.4%, drusen of the optic nerve head 0.2%, tilted discs 1.5%, chorioretinal scars suggestive of toxoplasmosis 0.2%, retinitis pigmentosa 0.04% and persistent hyaloid artery 0.02%. Choroidal nevi were positively associated with a history of myocardial infarction (OR = 2.7, 95% confidence interval 1.2-6.2, p value = 0.017). Tilted discs were positively associated with increased intraocular pressure (OR = 1.09 per mm Hg (1.02-1.16), p = 0.011) and negatively associated with smoking (OR 0.4 (0.3-0.7), p = 0.0022). Participants with tilted discs had a mean spherical equivalent of - 3.6 dioptres (standard deviation 4.0) compared with - 0.4 dioptres (2.4) to those without. CONCLUSION: Our study is-to the best of our knowledge-the first to determine the prevalence of drusen of optic nerve head among Caucasians, to show a positive association between tilted discs and increased intraocular pressure and questions a possible link between choroidal nevi and myocardial infarction. It also showed that participants with tilted discs had a lower mean spherical equivalent than those without.
Authors: René Höhn; Ulrike Kottler; Tunde Peto; Maria Blettner; Thomas Münzel; Stefan Blankenberg; Karl J Lackner; Manfred Beutel; Philipp S Wild; Norbert Pfeiffer Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-03-16 Impact factor: 3.240