title: Prevalence of Lens Opacities in Adult Chinese Americans: The Chinese American Eye Study (CHES).
abstract: We determined the age- and sex-specific prevalence of posterior subcapsular (PSC), nuclear, cortical, and mixed lens opacities in a population-based sample of Chinese-American adults.
  
  
  
  A population-based sample of Chinese-Americans 50 years and older, from 10 census tracts in Monterey Park, CA, USA, underwent a detailed interview and a comprehensive clinical examination that included assessment of different types of lens opacities by the slit-lamp-based Lens Opacities Classification System II (LOCS II). All lens changes (including pseudophakia/aphakia), PSC, nuclear, and/or cortical opacities, were evaluated and graded.
  
  
  
  Of the 5782 eligible subjects, 4582 (79.2%) Chinese Americans aged 50 years and older completed a comprehensive eye examination. Of the participants with LOCS II grading (n = 4234/4582, 92%), 3.0% had PSC opacities, 38.1% had nuclear opacities, and 23.4% had cortical opacities. The prevalence of all lens changes was 48.0% for all age groups and was higher by 10-year increasing age groups (P < 0.0001). The prevalence of visual impairment in the better-seeing eye with cortical only, nuclear only, PSC only, and mixed opacities was 3.9%, 5.0%, 14.3%, and 9.4%, respectively. A total of 454 (9.9%) individuals had undergone cataract extraction in at least one eye.
  
  
  
  Chinese Americans have a high prevalence of visual impairment associated with lens opacities, and a high prevalence of nuclear opacities. Public health policies and programs designed to improve cataract detection and treatment could help reduce the burden of visual impairment in Chinese Americans.
authors.affiliation: USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, California, United States.
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.affiliation: USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, California, United States.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, California, United States.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, California, United States.
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, California, United States.
authors.forename: Chunyi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, California, United States.
authors.forename: Stanley Paul
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Azen
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, California, United States.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McKean-Cowdin
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian; D002386:Cataract / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014792:Visual Acuity