Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Slovakia and Associated Risk Factors: A Mobile Clinic-Based Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Survey

Abstract

ABSTRACTPurpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly population. Although there are prevalence studies for AMD in Europe, data are scarce for the Slovakian population. Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter, non-interventional, mobile clinic-based cross-sectional study that assessed age-specific prevalence of AMD in the Slovakian population and risk factors associated with AMD. The type of AMD was graded based on the international age-related maculopathy grading system; optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used for the differential diagnosis. Overall, 3,278 patients were screened; the fundus photographs, OCT scans, and self-reports were collected at the mobile clinic in a single visit. Results: The prevalence of AMD in the study population was 8.99% (wet AMD 1.01%; dry AMD 7.85%), whereas the extrapolated estimate in the entire Slovakian population was 3.3% (wet AMD 0.3%; dry AMD 3.0%). Age, smoking, and hypertension were risk factors associated with AMD; however, contrary to reports in the literature, no gender-specific association was observed. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, mobile clinics may be an effective way to extend health care access to a larger population. Early diagnosis of AMD will assist in early treatment and effective disease management of the population at risk.