The decline in visual acuity in elderly people with healthy eyes or eyes with early age-related maculopathy in two Scandinavian population samples.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to analyse the decline in visual acuity (VA) during normal ageing in two Scandinavian population samples of subjects aged ≥ 70 years and to study the age-specific decline in VA in eyes with early age-related maculopathy (ARM).


METHODS
We carried out a cross-sectional analysis of data pertaining to VA in the better eye in one population sample from Oulu (OU), Finland (aged 70-82 years) and a second population sample from Gothenburg (GG), Sweden (aged 82 or 88 years). The change in VA with age was evaluated in healthy eyes (OU, n = 119; GG, n = 40) and in eyes with early ARM (OU-ARM, n = 22; GG-ARM, n = 114) using linear regression or logistic regression. The results were compared with those of previous reports.


RESULTS
Our population samples showed a significant decrease with age in VA in healthy eyes in subjects aged ≥ 44 years using both statistical models. Comparisons with previous reports demonstrated a homogeneity in the decline in VA with age. On average, 0.3 logMAR are lost from middle age up to 88 years, presumably as a result of physiological ageing. In early ARM, the rate of age-specific decline in VA more than doubled and the prevalence of VA < 0.5 markedly increased.


CONCLUSIONS
Visual acuity in healthy eyes declines with age from middle age onwards. The decrease in VA possibly accelerates in subjects aged > 70 years, although no significant evidence for this was found. An age-specific decline in VA is shown in eyes with early ARM. These results are important for the evaluation of age-specific treatment results.
Sjöstrand
Johan
J
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. johan.sjostrand@oft.gu.se
Laatikainen
Leila
L
Hirvelä
Heli
H
Popovic
Zoran
Z
Jonsson
Robert
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013548:Sweden; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult