title: Prevalence and causes of vision loss in East Asia: 1990-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in East Asia in 1990 and 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from population-based studies conducted from 1980 to 2012 were identified, and eligibility for inclusion was assessed. Data on prevalence of blindness (presenting visual acuity <3/60 in the better eye) and moderate to severe visual impairment (MSVI; presenting visual acuity <6/18 to 3/60 in the better eye) and causes were extracted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age-standardised prevalence of blindness was 0.7% (95% CI 0.6 to 0.9) in 1990 and 0.4% (95% CI 0.3 to 0.5) in 2010, while that of MSVI was 3.6% (95% CI 2.3 to 4.4) and 2.3% (95% CI 1.7 to 2.8), respectively. These prevalence estimates were lower than those of other countries globally. The absolute numbers affected by blindness and MSVI in 2010 were 5.2 million and 33.3 million, respectively, and were higher among women than men. Cataract was the leading cause of blindness, whereas uncorrected refractive error was the leading cause of MSVI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There has been a significant reduction in prevalence of blindness in East Asia, but a substantial absolute number of people remain blind and visually impaired, largely caused by cataract and uncorrected refractive error.
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, National University of Singapore, , Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Tien Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Yingfeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jost B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.forename: Seth R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Flaxman
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keeffe
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leasher
authors.forename: Kovin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Naidoo
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pesudovs
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Resnikoff
authors.forename: Hugh R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Rupert R A
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Bourne
mesh_terms: D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001766:Blindness / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: Epidemiology; Vision