Prevalence of age-related maculopathy in older Europeans: the European Eye Study (EUREYE).
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of age-related maculopathy in an older population from 7 European countries.


METHODS
Randomly sampled people 65 years and older were invited to an eye examination in centers across 7 European countries (Norway, Estonia, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Greece, and Spain). Fundus images of each eye were graded at a single reading center. Prevalence rates were calculated for stage of age-related maculopathy with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) estimated for clustered data.


RESULTS
Of 5040 participants (45% response rate), 4753 (2128 men and 2625 women) had gradable fundus images. The prevalences were grade 0, 47.59% (95% CI, 43.53%-51.65%); grade 1, 36.48% (95% CI, 32.66%-40.30%); grade 2, 10.14% (95% CI, 8.92% to 11.37%); grade 3, 2.46% (95% CI, 1.79%-3.13%); and grade 4 (age-related macular degeneration [AMD]), 3.32% (95% CI, 2.52%-4.13%) and large drusen only (> or = 125 microm), 15.41% (95% CI, 13.61%-17.21%). The prevalence of geographic atrophic AMD was 1.2% (95% CI, 0.8%-1.7%) and of neovascular AMD, 2.3% (95% CI, 1.7%-2.9%). The prevalence of bilateral AMD was 1.4% (95% CI, 1.0%-1.8%).


CONCLUSIONS
Age-specific prevalences of age-related maculopathy in the European Eye Study (EUREYE) are similar to other population-based studies in Western populations.
Augood
Cristina A
CA
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, England.
Vingerling
Johannes R
JR
de Jong
Paulus T V M
PT
Chakravarthy
Usha
U
Seland
Johan
J
Soubrane
Gisele
G
Tomazzoli
Laura
L
Topouzis
Fotis
F
Bentham
Graham
G
Rahu
Mati
M
Vioque
Jesus
J
Young
Ian S
IS
Fletcher
Astrid E
AE
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D010781:Photography; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires