Prevalence of glaucoma in North China: the Beijing Eye Study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of glaucoma in adult Chinese.


METHODS
Population-based study.


METHODS
The Beijing Eye Study in 2001 included 4439 subjects with an age of 40+ years. Glaucoma was determined using the ISGEO (International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology) classification scheme.


RESULTS
Glaucoma was detected in 158 subjects (3.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1%-4.2%), in which open-angle glaucoma (OAG), primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), and secondary glaucoma (SG) accounted for 2.6% (95% CI 2.1%-3.0%), 1.0% (95% CI 0.7%-1.3%), and 0.07% (95% CI 0%-0.1%), respectively. The overall glaucoma prevalence for the age groups of 40 to 49 years, 50 to 59 years, 60 to 69 years, and 70+ years was 2.2%, 2.5%, 4.4%, and 9.5%, respectively. Glaucoma prevalence increased significantly with age (P = .001), myopic refractive error (P < .001), and intraocular pressure (P < .001). The age-standardized prevalence of OAG, PACG, and SG was 2.5%, 1.0%, and 0.1%, respectively. Prevalence of glaucoma-related bilateral blindness or unilateral blindness was significantly (P = .02 and P = .03) higher in PACG than in OAG. Frequency of glaucoma-associated blindness and low vision was significantly higher in the rural area than in the urban region (6/62 vs 2/96, P = .04).


CONCLUSIONS
In the adult population of Greater Beijing, glaucoma prevalence was 3.6% and increased with age, myopic refractive error, and intraocular pressure. Glaucoma prevalence of 3.6% was comparable with figures from Caucasian populations. The ratio of OAG to PACG of 2.6:1 agrees with recent other studies from East Asia. Glaucoma-related blindness and low vision occurred significantly more often in PACG than in OAG.
Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Ya Xing
YX
Wang
Liang
L
Xu
Hua
H
Yang
Jost B
JB
Jonas
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015812:Glaucoma, Angle-Closure / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data