scholarly journals Causes of low vision and use of optical aids in the elderly

2004 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 157-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keila Monteiro de Carvalho ◽  
Gelse Beatriz Martins Monteiro ◽  
Cassiano Rodrigues Isaac ◽  
Lineu Oto Shiroma ◽  
Marcela Scabello Amaral
Keyword(s):  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Rehabilitation Service ◽  
Visual Rehabilitation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related

PURPOSE: To determine the causes of low vision in an elderly population attended by a university visual rehabilitation service and to check for the use of prescribed optical aids. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out on patients aged 60 years or over attending for the first time a university low vision service in 2001. Ophthalmic reevaluation and interview were performed by means of a structured questionnaire in 2002. RESULTS: The sample comprised 50 subjects aged between 60 and 90 years. Severe low vision (<FONT FACE=Symbol><</FONT>20/200) was present in 68.0% of patients. The main cause of low vision was age-related macular degeneration (44.0%). Regarding literacy, 16.0% were illiterate and 72.0% had completed fundamental schooling. Thirty-one patients (62.0%) had been prescribed optical aids; 54.8% of these patients stated that they use them. A majority (70.6%) held a favorable opinion of these aids. CONCLUSIONS: The main cause of low vision was age-related macular degeneration. Approximately half of those receiving prescriptions reported actually using the aids in their daily activities. Making best use of residual vision in the elderly population with visual impairment is a priority, given the social context, if the independence necessary for enhanced quality of life is to be achieved.

Patient Use of Dietary Supplements, Home Monitoring, or Genetic Testing for Nonneovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

2021 ◽  
pp. 247412642198922
Author(s):  
Brittany C. Tsou ◽  
T.Y. Alvin Liu ◽  
Jun Kong ◽  
Susan B. Bressler ◽  
J. Fernando Arevalo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Dietary Supplements ◽  
Home Monitoring ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Disease Study

Purpose: This work evaluated the use and type of dietary supplements and home monitoring for nonneovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as the prevalence of genetic testing among patients with AMD. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted of 129 participants older than 50 years who completed self-administered questionnaires regarding usage and type of dietary supplements and home monitoring, as well as the participants’ use of genetic testing for AMD. Results: Of 91 participants with AMD, 83 (91.2%) took vitamins, including 55 (60.4%) who used an Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) or AREDS2 formulation. Of 38 without AMD, 31 (81.6%) took vitamins (difference from participants with AMD = 9.6% [95% CI, 0%-23.2%]), including 2 on an AREDS formulation. Among 82 participants with AMD who were AREDS candidates (intermediate or advanced AMD in 1 or both eyes), 51 (62.2%; 95% CI, 51.7%-72.7%) took an AREDS or AREDS2 formulation, and 31 (37.8%) did not (5 were unsure). Additionally, 50 (61.0%; 95% CI, 50.4%-71.6%) AREDS candidates did some type of home monitoring. Only 1 (1.2%; 95% CI, 0%-3.6%) underwent genetic testing for AMD. Among 9 with AMD who were not AREDS candidates, 4 (44.4%) used an AREDS formulation, 4 (44.4%) did not, and 1 (11.1%) was unsure; only 1 (11.1%) of these 9 performed home monitoring. Conclusions: Despite similar results from past surveys and AREDS2 data supporting supplement use in 2013 and home monitoring in 2014, these findings suggest about one-third of AREDS candidates do not do so, providing further support for improving education regarding appropriate supplement and home monitoring usage. Genetic testing for AMD also appears infrequent.

scholarly journals Association of Human Plasma Metabolomics with Delayed Dark Adaptation in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 183
Author(s):  
Kevin M Mendez ◽  
Janice Kim ◽  
Inês Laíns ◽  
Archana Nigalye ◽  
Raviv Katz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Dark Adaptation ◽  
Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Vitreoretinal Disease

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between plasma metabolite levels and dark adaptation (DA) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This was a cross-sectional study including patients with AMD (early, intermediate, and late) and control subjects older than 50 years without any vitreoretinal disease. Fasting blood samples were collected and used for metabolomic profiling with ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Patients were also tested with the AdaptDx (MacuLogix, Middletown, PA, USA) DA extended protocol (20 min). Two measures of dark adaptation were calculated and used: rod-intercept time (RIT) and area under the dark adaptation curve (AUDAC). Associations between dark adaption and metabolite levels were tested using multilevel mixed-effects linear modelling, adjusting for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), smoking, race, AMD stage, and Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) formulation supplementation. We included a total of 71 subjects: 53 with AMD (13 early AMD, 31 intermediate AMD, and 9 late AMD) and 18 controls. Our results revealed that fatty acid-related lipids and amino acids related to glutamate and leucine, isoleucine and valine metabolism were associated with RIT (p < 0.01). Similar results were found when AUDAC was used as the outcome. Fatty acid-related lipids and amino acids are associated with DA, thus suggesting that oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction likely play a role in AMD and visual impairment in this condition.

scholarly journals Cross-sectional study of the association between age-related macular degeneration and arthritis in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2008

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. e035805
Author(s):  
Zhuoting Zhu ◽  
Huan Liao ◽  
Sen Liu ◽  
Jian Zhang ◽  
Yifan Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
National Health ◽  
Logistic Models ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Nutrition Examination Survey ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
Age Related

ObjectiveTo explore the association between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and arthritis in a representative sample of the US population.DesignPopulation-based, cross-sectional study.SettingThe National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2008.ParticipantsA total of 4813 participants aged 40 years and older with available information on AMD and arthritis in the 2005–2008 NHANES.MethodsThe status and types of arthritis were obtained from questionnaires. Non-mydriatic fundus photographs were collected. The types of AMD were assessed using the modified Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading Classification Scheme. The association between arthritis and AMD was evaluated using logistic regression models.ResultsAfter adjusting for covariates, participants with any or early AMD had significantly lower odds of having any type of arthritis (any AMD: OR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.36–0.86; early AMD: OR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.34–0.88) or osteoarthritis (OA) (any AMD: OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.26–0.71; early AMD: OR=0.44, 95% CI: 0.25–0.76) compared with those without AMD. When considering AMD as the outcome, significant negative associations were also found between any arthritis or OA and any (any arthritis: OR=0.64, 95% CI: 0.43–0.94; OA: OR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.33–0.82) or early AMD (any arthritis: OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.40–0.93; OA: OR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.31–0.86) in the multivariable logistic models. There was no significant association between different types of arthritis and late AMD.ConclusionsPeople with arthritis, especially those with OA, were less likely to have AMD compared with those without arthritis and vice versa. Further studies are needed to confirm this potential protective effect of arthritis and/or arthritis treatment on AMD and to explore the underlying mechanisms.

Epidemiology Prevalence and Incidence in Dry-Form (Non-Neovascular) Age-Related Macular Degeneration

2017 ◽  
pp. 97-99
Keyword(s):  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Epidemiologic Studies ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Neovascular Amd ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Dry Amd ◽  
Degenerative Disorder ◽  
Definition Of

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative disorder of the central retina and represents the leading cause of severe visual impairment in the elderly population of industrialized societies. It is known that it currently exists between 30 and 50 million people around the world and is estimated that will have doubled by the end of the coming decade. Several large epidemiologic studies have evaluated the prevalence of non-neovascular or so-called dry AMD. There is some variation in the prevalence of non-neovascular AMD depending on the exact definition of AMD. All of them report a higher prevalence of early AMD and an increasing prevalence with age. It is seen most in Caucasians and least in people with Africans and it is not related to gender.

Prevalence and characteristics of macular atrophy in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. A study from a long-term observational dataset: the Fight Retinal Blindness! project

2019 ◽  
Vol 104 (8) ◽  
pp. 1064-1069
Author(s):  
Vincent Daien ◽  
Vuong Nguyen ◽  
Rohan W Essex ◽  
Robin Guymer ◽  
Jennifer J Arnold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Vegf Inhibitors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Macular Atrophy ◽  
Anti Vegf ◽  
Age Related ◽  
History Of

BackgroundTo assess the prevalence and characteristics associated with macular atrophy (MA) in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors.MethodsThis was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of nAMD eyes that commenced anti-VEGF between January 2006 and August 2016. MA (absent/extrafoveal/subfoveal) was graded by treating practitioners based on multimodal imaging from April 2016. The prevalence of MA over time and risk factors of MA were assessed.ResultsThe prevalence of MA in a cohort of 1689 eyes was 9.9% (22/222) in eyes within 1 year of starting treatment, 41.5% (71/171) after 5 years and 48.4% (30/62) after 9 years of treatment. Risk factors for subfoveal MA included the proportion of visits at which the lesion was graded as inactive ((adjusted OR (AOR) 3.72 for the highest vs lowest the quartile of frequency of inactive gradings (95% CI 2.33 to 6.07)), age (AOR 1.05 per year (95% CI 1.02 to 1.07)), baseline visual acuity (AOR 3.9 for ≤35 letters vs ≥70 letters (95% CI 2.4 to 6.4)) and the number of injections received (AOR 1.20 every 10 injections (95% CI 1.08 to 1.33)). Similar associations were observed with extrafoveal MA.ConclusionsThe risk of MA appeared to drop in eyes that had not developed it within 5 years. Low choroidal neovascularisation activity was by far the strongest predictor. We could not determine whether the increased prevalence of MA with time was due to anti-VEGF treatment or the natural history of the condition.

The aging eye

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J Ah-Chan ◽  
Susan Downes
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Physical Disability ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Systemic Disease ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Visual Rehabilitation ◽  
Age Related

Age has been identified as the single most impor-tant demographic predictor of blindness and visual impairment. Visual impairment is the second most prevalent physical disability in the elderly population. The prevalence of blindness and visual impairment after 60 years of age increases significantly. Furthermore, the number of older people with functional vision impairment is expected to double in the next decade. Visual impairment in the elderly population is commonly due either to localized ocular pathology (cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration) or systemic disease with associated ocular or visual pathway involvement (hypertension, diabetes and cerebrovascular disease). Physicians involved in the care of older people play a crucial role in the recognition, prevention and management of morbidity related to visual impairment in this population. Timely screening, referral, intervention and visual rehabilitation is thought to be capable of reducing new blindness and visual impairment by at least one-third.

scholarly journals A Pattern of Age-related Macular Degeneration

2009 ◽  
Vol 48 (175) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suprada Pokhrel ◽  
O K Malla ◽  
C L Pradhananga ◽  
S N Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
College Teaching ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Number Of Individuals

Introduction: Age related macular degeneration is a disorder of the macula most often clinicallyapparent affecting central vision and is one of the leading causes of blindness in the populationabove 50 years. The aim of this study is to determine clinical profi le of AMD in Nepalese presentingto a Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu.Methods: It was a hospital-based cross-sectional study. The subjects included in the study were thosepresenting to the Ophthalmology department of Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospitalfrom July 2007- Dec 2007.The total number of individuals included in the study were 402 and totalnumber of eyes were 804.Results: AMD was observed in 5.2% out of 402 subjects of 40 years and above age group withprevalence increasing with age. The prevalence of AMD was 0.7% within 40-50 years of age-groupindividuals increasing to 2.6% in 51-60 years, 6.5% in 61-70 years and to 19.3% among subjectsabove 71 years. This study revealed that the prevalence of AMD in females was higher with femalepreponderance in ratio of 2.5:1. 52.5 % AMD subjects in our study had visual impairment with 6/24-6/60 vision and 15% had vision <3/60-PL. Our study revealed statistically signifi cant increased riskfor AMD with aging (p=0.00). Increased risk was observed in female gender and diabetics though theOdds ratio (OR) was statistically insignifi cant (p=>0.01).Conclusions: Prevalence of AMD in Nepalese presenting to Kathmandu Medical College TeachingHospital was 5% with female preponderance in ratio of 2.5:1. Aging showed statistically signifi cantincreased risk for AMD development in this study.Key Words: Age-related macular degeneration, blindness, Nepalese, prevalence

scholarly journals Age-Related Choroidal Atrophy and Choroidal Neovascularization

2017 ◽  
pp. 336-339
Keyword(s):  
Optical Coherence Tomography ◽  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Choroidal Neovascularization ◽  
Visual Function ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Optical Coherence ◽  
Age Related

The choroid is a highly vascular, pigmented tissue located between the retina and sclera. The structure and thickness of choroid can be assessed by recently developed optical coherence tomography technologies. Age-related choroidal atrophy is a choroidal pathology that affects the elderly population and often accompanies and sometimes mimics age-related macular degeneration. Patients with age-related choroidal atrophy have a better visual function but have a higher risk of developing glaucoma.

scholarly journals Percentage of Foveal versus Total Macular Geographic Atrophy as a Predictor of Visual Acuity in Age-related Macular Degeneration

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saghar Bagheri ◽  
Ines Lains ◽  
Rebecca Silverman ◽  
Ivana Kim ◽  
Dean Eliott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Macular Degeneration ◽  
Fundus Autofluorescence ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Geographic Atrophy ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Foveal Sparing

AbstractObjectivesTo investigate the relationship between visual acuity (VA), total area of geographic atrophy (GA) and percentage of foveal GA.MethodsMulticenter, retrospective cross-sectional study of patients with GA due to age-related macular degeneration. Demographics, VA, fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images were collected. Using FAF images aided by OCT, foveal sparing status, GA pattern, total GA size, and percentage of GA covering the foveal area - area within a 1.5 mm diameter circle centered on the fovea centralis - were assessed. Univariable and multiple linear regression analyses were performed.Results54 eyes (mean age 78.7 ±7.7 (SD), 60.0% female) were studied. Mean VA was 0.8 ± 0.6 logMAR, mean total GA 8.8 ± 6.7 mm2 and mean percentage of foveal GA was 71.5 ± 30.9%. Of all assessed eyes, 48.2% (n = 26) presented with multifocal GA, and 18.5% (n = 10) had foveal sparing. Multiple regression analysis revealed that, controlling for age and GA pattern, the percentage of foveal GA presented a statistically significant association with VA (ß = 0.41, P = 0.004). No significant associations were observed with mean total GA size, while controlling for the same variables (ß = 0.010, P = 0.440).ConclusionPercentage of foveal GA was significantly associated with VA impairment, while the same was not verified for total GA area. These findings suggest that percentage of foveal GA may represent a more useful tool for assessing the impact of GA on VA. Further validation is needed in larger cohorts.

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