Retinal detachment in Scotland is associated with affluence.
OBJECTIVE
Socio-economic deprivation plays a major role in health and disease, but its role in retinal detachment has not been studied. Data from the Scottish Retinal Detachment Study were used to investigate any association between retinal detachment, macular status at presentation and deprivation.


METHODS
Prospective multicentre population-based observational study. Data were collected on all patients with primary retinal detachment presenting in Scotland between 1 November 2007 and 31 October 2008. Every patient was allocated a validated deprivation ranking according to their postcodes based on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), which takes into account income, employment, health, education, housing, geographic accessibility and crime in 6505 postcode-based datazones. The patients were divided into four quartiles according to their SIMD ranking.


RESULTS
572 patients were included. The annual incidence of detachment declined from 15.4/100,000 in the most affluent quartile to 13.6/100,000 in the second, 9.3/100,000 in the third and 6.9/100,000 in the most deprived (chi(2) for trend = 50.2, p<0.0001). The trend was more marked for men than for women but was present in both sexes. There were no differences in the rate of macula-off detachments or the number of quadrants detached. Rates of pseudophakic and myopic detachment were evenly distributed across all quartiles.


CONCLUSIONS
Retinal detachment appears to be associated with affluence. This has not been previously reported and may be partly responsible for the variation in estimates of the incidence of retinal detachment. It may also have implications for service planning. The reason for this association is unknown.
Gartnavel Hospital, Great Western Road, Glasgow G120YN, UK. dhyorston@enterprise.net
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S
Saidkasimova
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Mitry
J
J
Singh
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D
Yorston
D G
DG
Charteris
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors