Cataract and pseudophakia in elderly European drivers.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence and association of different types and severities of cataract or pseudophakia with visual impairments in older European drivers.


METHODS
In this prospective European multicenter study, 2211 active drivers, 45 years of age and older, participated in an ophthalmologic examination, the measurement of visual functions, and were asked to fill in the NEI-VFQ-25 and another questionnaire about driving habits, driving difficulties, and self-reported accidents.


RESULTS
Prevalence of moderate and severe forms of cataract in an active driving population is lower than that in the general population, but could be found in both eyes in 20% (95% confidence interval [CI] 16%-25%) and 17% (95% CI:13%-21%) of subjects 75 years of age and older. In addition, there is a strong relationship between severity of cataract and parameters such as age, visual acuity, intraocular straylight, and contrast sensitivity.


CONCLUSIONS
Cataract is not as highly prevalent in the elderly active driving population as in the general population, but is frequently present in drivers over 65 years of age. Lower prevalence of severe bilateral cataracts in countries with mandatory tests of visual functions of drivers suggest that this could be a suitable measure to detect and to reduce the number of active drivers with severe bilateral cataracts.
Nischler
Christian
C
Department of Ophthalmology, Paracelsus Private Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria. c.nischler@salk.at
Michael
Ralph
R
Wintersteller
Christine
C
Marvan
Patrick
P
Emesz
Martin
M
Van Rijn
Laurentius J
LJ
van den Berg
Thomas J T P
TJ
Wilhelm
Helmut
H
Coeckelbergh
Tanja
T
Barraquer
Rafael I
RI
Grabner
Günther
G
Hitzl
Wolfgang
W
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002386:Cataract / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*