title: Visual acuity in a population aged 70 years or older; prevalence and causes of visual impairment.
abstract: Visual acuity and the prevalence and causes of impaired vision were studied in an epidemiological cross-sectional population study of inhabitants aged 70 years or older in three communities in the county of Oulu, Finland. 500 of the 560 eligible persons (89.3%) were examined. Information on visual acuity was obtained for 476 co-operative persons (85.0%). 59.0% had a visual acuity of 0.3-0.6 in the better eye. 10.1% (48 persons) had low vision and 1.9% (9 persons) were blind as categorized according to the classification of visual impairment by the World Health Organization. Experienced visual capacity did not, however, always correspond to objective tests. Age-related maculopathy and cataract were the leading causes of visual deterioration. Age-related maculopathy was the main cause of low vision and blindness in 4.6% of the population. In 1.3% the etiology was cataract, and in 2.1% both early age-related maculopathy and cataract were present without obvious dominance. Cataract was often associated with other conditions. Glaucoma was considered the main cause of visual deterioration in 1.5%, diabetic maculopathy in 0.6% and macula pucker in 0.4%. In 1.5% the visual deterioration was due to other causes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirvelä
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laatikainen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology