title: Age-specific changes in the prevalence of best-corrected visual impairment in an italian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate changes in the prevalence of visual impairment in an Italian population from 1988 to 2000.
  
  
  METHODS
  Standardized ophthalmologic examinations were administered to citizens of Ponza, Italy aged 40-87 years in 1988 and 2000. Visual Acuity (VA) was measured using a standard logarithmic chart. Visual fields (VF) were tested in all subjects with diagnosed or suspected glaucoma or hereditary degenerative retinopathy. Visual impairment was classified as blindness (VA > 1.3 LogMAR or VF < 10 degrees around central fixation) or low vision (VA > 0.5 to 1.3 LogMAR or VF < 20 degrees to 10 degrees) according to WHO criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of binocular total visual impairments decreased significantly among 64-75 year-olds (from 6.7% to 2.6%, p = 0.045), and almost significantly among 40-51 year-olds (from 2.4%, 95% CI 1.1-5.3, to 0.0%, 95% CI 0.0-1.3). By 2000, visual impairment was no longer significantly associated with female gender, and age 64-75 years; the mean age of subjects with vision-impairing cataract, diabetic retinopathy, or age-related macular degeneration had risen significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A decline in the prevalence of visual impairment, particularly in cataract-associated visual impairment was found in the middle-aged groups. The progression of age-related eye diseases seems to have slowed in this population possibly due to improvements in the life expectancy and socio-economic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Physiopathological Optics, Department of Biopathology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. cedrone@uniroma2.it
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cedrone
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nucci
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cesareo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Macrì
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Culasso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015348:Vision, Binocular