title: Prevalence and risk factors for primary open-angle glaucoma in a rural northeast China population: a population-based survey in Bin County, Harbin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in a rural population in northeast China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based survey was conducted within Bin County, Harbin of northeast China. Glaucoma was diagnosed using International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology criteria. All the subjects underwent a complete ophthalmic examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 4956 (86.0%) of 5762 subjects aged 40 years or older were examined. The mean intraocular pressure (IOP) of right eyes was 14.0 (95% confidence interval (CI), 13.9 to 14.1) mm Hg. The prevalence of POAG was 0.71% (35/4956, 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.93). In these POAG subjects, 17 (48.6%) had elevated IOP >21 mm Hg in either eye, 3 (8.8%) participants had been treated by laser trabeculoplasty or trabeculectomy and were known to have POAG. Vision impairment to varying degrees was present in 20 subjects (58.8%) with 1 subject blind in both eyes and 8 subjects blind in one eye. On multivariate analysis, age, family history of glaucoma, systemic hypertension, and IOP were regarded as significant independent risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  POAG is a disease of serious consequence and of low diagnosis and treatment rates in rural northeast China. Age, family history of glaucoma, systemic hypertension, and IOP remain as significant independent risk factors for POAG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology