title: Danish Rural Eye Study: Epidemiology of Adult Visual Impairment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the frequency and causes of visual impairment (VI) in a select population of Danish adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 3843 adults aged 20-94 years from the Danish General Suburban Population Study (GESUS) were included in the population-based, cross-sectional ophthalmological study, Danish Rural Eye Study (DRES). All DRES participants received a comprehensive general health examination preceding their eye examination, including measurement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) for each eye, bilateral 45° retinal fundus photographs and further ophthalmological examination where indicated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 3826 of 3843 participants (99.6%) had bilateral visual acuity measurements. The overall frequency of VI (BCVA <20/40 in the better-seeing eye) was 0.4% (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.2-0.7%; n = 15) among all DRES participants, 0.6% (95% CI 0.3-1.0%; n = 15) among participants >50 years and 3.7% (95% CI 2.1-6.5%; n = 11) in participants >80 years. The primary causes of VI in the better-seeing eye were age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 46.7% (7/15) and cataract in 26.7% (4/15). A total of 43.3% (n = 115) of participants >80 years were pseudophakic in one or both eyes. The frequency of diabetes (HbA1c ≥ 48 mmol/mol or self-reported diagnosis) was 5.9% (n = 227), including 1.3% (n = 51) newly diagnosed in the GESUS. Of participants determined to have VI due to exudative AMD, 50% had received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report a relatively low frequency of VI among Danish adults over 59 years of age compared with that observed 10-15 years ago, which is both consistent with other recent Scandinavian studies and reflective of our relatively healthy and mobile population sample.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , University of Copenhagen, Næstved Hospital , Næstved , Denmark.|b Faculty of Health Sciences , University of Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Tracy Beth
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Høeg
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Health Sciences , University of Copenhagen , Denmark.|c Department of General Population Study , Nykøbing Falster Hospital , Denmark.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ellervik
authors.affiliation: d Department of Ophthalmology , Capital Region Eye Clinic , Glostrup , Denmark.|e Department of Ophthalmology , Rigshospitalet, National University Hospital , Copenhagen , Denmark.|f Copenhagen Eye and Strabismus Clinic, Copenhagen Private Hospital , Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Buch
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Health Sciences , University of Copenhagen , Denmark.|d Department of Ophthalmology , Capital Region Eye Clinic , Glostrup , Denmark.
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: La Cour
authors.affiliation: e Department of Ophthalmology , Rigshospitalet, National University Hospital , Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klemp
authors.affiliation: g Department of Internal Medicine , Næstved Hospital, Næstved , Denmark.|h Institute of Regional Health Services, University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kvetny
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , University of Copenhagen, Næstved Hospital , Næstved , Denmark.
authors.forename: Ditte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Erngaard
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , University of Copenhagen, Næstved Hospital , Næstved , Denmark.
authors.forename: Birgitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moldow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Blindness; Denmark; population-based; visual impairment