title: Effect of Aging on Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Normal Asian Indian Eyes: A Longitudinal Study.
abstract: To determine longitudinal retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurement change with aging, after a period of 3 years using spectral optical coherence tomography/scanning laser ophthalmoscope (OCT/SLO).
  
  
  
  A total of 50 eyes of 25 normal subjects underwent RNFL thickness measurement in 2008 and again in 2011 by a single operator, using spectral OCT/SLO. Measurements were compared at baseline and at follow-up. Linear mixed model analysis was used to measure the effect of age on RNFL thickness measurements over the 3 years.
  
  
  
  Mean RNFL thickness was 107.92 ± 11.1 µm in 2008 and 106.56 ± 10.8 µm in 2011. For every year increase in age, mean RNFL thickness showed a statistically significant decrease by -0.54 µm (95% confidence interval, -0.76 to -0.31; p < 0.0001). There was a statistically significant loss of peripapillary RNFL thickness in most RNFL regions, except for the temporal quadrant (p = 0.37) and corresponding 7, 8, 9, and 10 o'clock hour sectors (p = 0.72, 0.75, 0.17, 0.14, respectively).
  
  
  
  RNFL thickness as measured by spectral OCT/SLO decreased significantly with advancing age over a period of 3 years, and was not uniform across the four quadrants. This age-related variation should be taken into account in RNFL thickness measurements when evaluating patients for diagnosis and follow-up of glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Glaucoma , Anand Eye Institute , Hyderabad , India.
authors.forename: Tarannum
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mansoori
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biostatistics , National Institute of Nutrition , Hyderabad , India.
authors.forename: Nagalla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Balakrishna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Age; retinal nerve fiber layer thickness; spectral OCT/SLO