Prevalence of ocular findings regardless of visual acuity status in older adults from the Brazilian Amazon Region

Author(s):Show less -

Fernandes, Arthur G. ^[1] ; Berezovsky, Adriana ^[1] ; Watanabe, Sung E. S. ^[1] ; Mitsuhiro, Marcia R. K. H. ^[1] ; Cypel, Marcela C. ^[1] ; Ferraz, Nivea N. ^[1] ; Furtado, Joao M. ^{[2, 1]} ; Sacai, Paula Y. ^[1] ; Munoz, Sergio ^[3] ; Cunha, Cristina C. ^{[1, 4]} ; Vasconcelos, Galton C. ^{[1, 5]} ; Morales, Paulo H. A. ^[1] ; Cohen, Marcos J. ^[6] ; Cohen, Jacob M. ^[6] ; Campos, Mauro ^[1] ; Belfort, Jr., Rubens ^[1] ; Salomao, Solange R. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Oftalmol & Ciencias Visuais, Escola Paulista Med, R Botucatu 821, BR-04023062 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Oftalmol Otorrinolaringol & Cirurgia Cabeca, Fac Med Ribeirao Preto, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ La Frontera, Dept Salud Publ, Temuco - Chile

^[4] Univ Fed Para UFPA, Fac Med, Belem, PA - Brazil

^[5] Univ Fed Minas Gerais UFMG, Dept Oftalmol & Otorrinolaringol, Fac Med, Belo Horizonte, MG - Brazil

^[6] Univ Fed Amazonas UFAM, Div Oftalmol, Dept Cirurgia, Fac Med, Manaus, AM - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS; v. 11, n. 1 DEC 9 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Recently, it has been recommended that population-based studies report not only frequencies of vision impairment and blindness but also any ocular abnormalities that might lead an individual to seek for eyecare services. The current study aimed to determine prevalence of ocular findings regardless of visual acuity (VA) status in older adults from the Brazilian Amazon Region. Disturbances were grouped into: Eyelids; Anterior Segment; Posterior Segment; Increased intraocular pressure; and Overall Globe. The presence of an ocular finding was considered positive when any abnormality was noted, regardless of VA. Refractive errors were not considered. A total 2384 eligible persons were enumerated and 2041 (85.6%) examined. The prevalence of ocular disturbances in either eye was 87.0% and was associated with male gender, older age, lower education, and rural residence. Overall, main findings were pterygium, cataract, and pinguecula, occurring in 58.8%, 45.4% and 17.4%, respectively. Among individuals with 20/20 VA in both eyes, the most frequent findings were pterygium, pinguecula, and glaucoma cupping, occurring in 47.4%, 31.2% and 6.5%, respectively. The high prevalence of ocular findings observed in this population reinforces that different conditions might not immediately decrease VA but can indicate risk and/or discomfort symptoms and should be considered when planning public health ophthalmic services. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/16397-7 - Eye survey of the city of Parintins, AM: prevalence and causes of near and distance visual impairment and blindness
• Grantee: Solange Rios Salomão
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants