Prevalence of vitreoretinal disorders in a rural population of southern India: the Aravind Comprehensive Eye Study.
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.
Nirmalan
Praveen K
PK
Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Aravind Eye Care System, Madurai, India.
Katz
Joanne
J
Robin
Alan L
AL
Tielsch
James M
JM
Namperumalsamy
Perumalsamy
P
Kim
Ramasamy
R
Narendran
V
V
Ramakrishnan
Rengappa
R
Krishnadas
Ramasamy
R
Thulasiraj
Ravilla D
RD
Suan
Eric
E
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000473:pathology*