| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
1From the Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Aravind Eye Care System, Madurai, Tamilnadu, India; the 2Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; the 3Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; the 4Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
OBJECTIVES. To determine the prevalence of lens opacities in an older population in rural southern India.
METHODS. A cross-sectional study of 5150 persons aged 40 years and more who were selected as part of a representative sample from three southern districts of the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. All lenses were graded and classified for opacities and other disorders by slit lamp after pupillary dilation, using the Lens Opacification Classification System (LOCS) III and standard photographs. Definite cataract was defined as either LOCS III nuclear opalescence of grade 3.0 or more and/or cortical cataract of grade 3.0 or more and/or posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC) of grade 2.0 or more.
RESULTS. Definite cataract was present in one or both eyes in 2499 (47.5%) of 5150 subjects. The age-adjusted prevalence (adjusted to U.S. population estimates for 2000) of definite cataract in this population was 61.9% (95% CI, 60.6–6.3). The prevalence was significantly lower in men (P = 0.0002). In those eyes with cataracts, nuclear cataract (59.7%) was most common, and cortical cataract was present in 20.0% and PSC in 24.3%. Cataract surgery had been performed in 9.4% persons, including 3.0% who had bilateral surgery for cataracts. Best corrected visual acuity was less than 6/60 in 3.7% of aphakic eyes and in 0.8% of pseudophakic eyes.
CONCLUSIONS. The higher age-adjusted prevalence and relatively early onset of age-related cataract in this population suggest that the cataract-centered approach to minimizing preventable blindness, adopted by the National Program for Prevention of Blindness in India, is appropriate.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. Dherani, G. V. S. Murthy, S. K. Gupta, I. S. Young, G. Maraini, M. Camparini, G. M. Price, N. John, U. Chakravarthy, and A. E. Fletcher Blood Levels of Vitamin C, Carotenoids and Retinol Are Inversely Associated with Cataract in a North Indian Population Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., August 1, 2008; 49(8): 3328 - 3335. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. V. S. Murthy, S. K. Gupta, G. Maraini, M. Camparini, G. M. Price, M. Dherani, N. John, U. Chakravarthy, and A. E. Fletcher Prevalence of Lens Opacities in North India: The INDEYE Feasibility Study Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., January 1, 2007; 48(1): 88 - 95. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D C Gritz, M Srinivasan, S D Smith, U Kim, T M Lietman, J H Wilkins, B Priyadharshini, R K John, S Aravind, N V Prajna, et al. The Antioxidants in Prevention of Cataracts Study: effects of antioxidant supplements on cataract progression in South India Br. J. Ophthalmol., July 1, 2006; 90(7): 847 - 851. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. K. Nirmalan, S. Krishnaiah, B. R. Shamanna, G. N. Rao, and R. Thomas A population-based assessment of presbyopia in the state of andhra pradesh, South India: the andhra pradesh eye disease study. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., June 1, 2006; 47(6): 2324 - 2328. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Balasubramanian, P. L. Kaufman, and U.S.-Indo Collaborative Research Workshops Group Research Opportunities in Vision: A Report of the U.S.-Indo Workshops on Collaborative Research Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., May 1, 2006; 47(5): 1717 - 1735. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T Y Wong, S-C Loon, and S-M Saw The epidemiology of age related eye diseases in Asia. Br. J. Ophthalmol., April 1, 2006; 90(4): 506 - 511. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Krishnaiah, T. Das, P. K. Nirmalan, R. Nutheti, B. R. Shamanna, G. N. Rao, and R. Thomas Risk Factors for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Findings from the Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study in South India Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., December 1, 2005; 46(12): 4442 - 4449. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. K. Nirmalan, J. M. Tielsch, J. Katz, R. D. Thulasiraj, R. Krishnadas, R. Ramakrishnan, and A. L. Robin Relationship between Vision Impairment and Eye Disease to Vision-Specific Quality of Life and Function in Rural India: The Aravind Comprehensive Eye Survey Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., July 1, 2005; 46(7): 2308 - 2312. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Krishnaiah, K. Vilas, B. R. Shamanna, G. N. Rao, R. Thomas, and D. Balasubramanian Smoking and Its Association with Cataract: Results of the Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study from India Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., January 1, 2005; 46(1): 58 - 65. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P K Nirmalan, A L Robin, J Katz, J M Tielsch, R D Thulasiraj, R Krishnadas, and R Ramakrishnan Risk factors for age related cataract in a rural population of southern India: the Aravind Comprehensive Eye Study Br. J. Ophthalmol., August 1, 2004; 88(8): 989 - 994. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
