Incidence of visual loss in the Ponza Eye Study, Italy.
OBJECTIVE
To study the incidence of visual loss over a 12-year period in the survivors of an original cohort aged 40 years or older at baseline.


METHODS
Visual acuity (VA) was measured by means of a standardized logMAR chart. World Health Organization definition of blindness and low vision was adopted (respectively, best-corrected VA >1.3 logMAR or a visual field <10 degrees around central fixation, and best-corrected VA >0.5-1.3 logMAR or a visual field <20 degrees around central fixation). Moreover, binocular visual loss incidence (VA>0.5 logMAR) was calculated in a 'healthy' group who had uncorrected VA of 0.0 logMAR or better in both eyes at baseline and absence of eye diseases.


RESULTS
Of the 584 eligible survivors, 411 (70.7%) had a 12-year follow-up visit. The overall incidence figures were as follows: best-corrected binocular blindness (0.7%), binocular low vision (3.9%), monocular blindness (2.7%), and monocular low vision (5.0%), respectively. The results for presenting VAs were 1.2, 9.5, 4.2, and 15.3%. Figures for uncorrected, best-corrected, and presenting binocular visual loss incidence in the 'healthy' group were respectively 12.7, 0.9, and 3.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
The discrepancy between the ideal and real situations that emerges from this study has important implications for health-care planning. Over a period of 12 years, a substantial percentage of 'healthy' subjects will have to seek medical care. Incident visual loss was caused mainly by untreated cataract, glaucoma, myopia, and age-related macular degeneration.
Nucci
C
C
Physiopathological Optics, Department of Biopathology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. nucci@med.uniroma2.it
Cedrone
C
C
Culasso
F
F
Ricci
F
F
Cesareo
M
M
Corsi
A
A
Cerulli
L
L
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014794:Visual Fields