title: Frequency of amount and axis of astigmatism in subjects of Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the frequency of amount and axis of astigmatism with respect to age and gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prospective, observational study was carried out from September 2009 to January 2010 at Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology, Rawalpindi. Patients from 5-70 years of age were included from both genders with no previous history of eye abnormality, surgery or eye pathology. An auto refractor-keratometre was used for measurement. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data on SPSS 15.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the total 288 patients, with-the-rule astigmatism (n = 21; 55%) had greater frequency in the 26-35 years sub-group. In terms of gender, 88 (48%); against-the-rule in 81 (44%); and oblique astigmatism in 14 (7.6%). In females, with-the-rule astigmatism was found in 52 (50%); against-the-rule in 36 (34.2%); and oblique in 17 (16%). The frequency of astigmatism > or = 0.25 ranged from 0.8% (n = 1) to 74% (n = 28) across all age groups. The amount of astigmatism which was noted to be the most common and prominent in the sample was < 1D.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The amount and axis of astigmatism varied within the age sub-groups and within the gender.
authors.affiliation: Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Saba
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abbasi
authors.affiliation: Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Anam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imtiaz
authors.affiliation: Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Aun Raza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Army Medical College, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Quratulain
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zamir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult