Prevalence of Vitreoretinal Disorders in a Rural Population of Southern India: The Aravind Comprehensive Eye Study

Praveen K. Nirmalan, Joanne Katz, Alan L. Robin, James M. Tielsch, Perumalsamy Namperumalsamy, Ramasamy Kim, V. Narendran, Rengappa Ramakrishnan, Ramasamy Krishnadas, Ravilla D. Thulasiraj, Eric Suan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

99 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To determine the magnitude of vitreoretinal disorders in a rural southern Indian population. Methods: Cluster sampling was used to identify individuals 40 years and older in Tamil Nadu in southern India. Demographic details, vision measurement and refraction using logMAR charts, anterior segment slitlamp examination, dilated posterior segment slitlamp examination using a 78-diopter (D) lens, and indirect ophthalmoscopy using a 20-D lens were performed. Results: Complete retinal data were available for 4917 (95.5%) of the 5150 persons examined. The prevalence of any vitreoretinal disorder was 10.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.5%-11.3%). The population prevalence of bilateral blindness among persons with vitreoretinal disorders was 0.3% (95% CI, 0.2%-0.5%). The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 0.5% (95% CI, 0.3%-0.7%) in the general population and 10.5% (95% CI, 6.5%-14.5%) in patients with diabetes mellitus. Only 6.7% of individuals with diabetic retinopathy had previous ophthalmic examinations. The prevalences of early and late age-related macular degeneration were 2.7% (95% CI, 2.2%-3.2%) and 0.6% (95% CI, 0.4%-0.8%), respectively. Conclusions: Vitreoretinal diseases appear to be a major public health problem in India. Emphasis on diabetic screening, diabetic therapy, and appropriate laser therapy of diabetic retinopathy must be explored.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)581-586
Number of pages6
JournalArchives of ophthalmology
Volume122
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2004

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ophthalmology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Prevalence of Vitreoretinal Disorders in a Rural Population of Southern India: The Aravind Comprehensive Eye Study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this