Prevalence of age‐related macular degeneration in rural Central India. The Central India Eye and Medical Study

Abstract

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the prevalence of age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) in the adult population of rural Central India. Methods The participants underwent a detailed ophthalmic and medical examination including standardized questions on the socioeconomic background, lifestyle, and social relations. Prevalence of AMD as defined by the Wisconsin Age‐Related Maculopathy Grading system. Results Including only subjects with an age of 40+ years revealed a prevalence of early AMD of 3.6±0.2 % (95%CI: 3.1%‐4.0%) per eye and of 6.1±0.4% (95%CI: 5.3%‐6.9%) per person; and of late AMD of 0.1±0.5% (95%CI: 0.1%‐0.2%) per eye and of 0.2±0.8% (95%CI: 0.1%‐0.4%) per person. Neovascular AMD was found in 5 (0.06±0.03%) eyes. Geographic AMD was detected in 4 (0.04±0.02%) eyes. Late AMD was found in 9/8943 (0.1±0.03%; 95%CI: 0.03%‐0.2%) eyes or 8/4542 (0.2±0.03%; 95%CI: 0.1%‐0.3%) subjects. The prevalence of early AMD increased from 1.3±0.3% in the 30‐ to 40‐year age group, to 3.6±0.5% in the 41‐ to 50‐years old group, to 7.9±0.9% in the 51 to 60‐ years old group, to 10.0±1.1% in the 61‐ to 70‐years old group, to 8.3±0.2% in the 71‐ to 80‐years old group, and to 8.0±5.5% in the 81+ year old subjects. AMD was causative for visual impairment (best corrected visual acuity in the better eye: <20/60 and ≥20/400) in 3 out of 342 (0.9%) subjects, and it was causative for blindness (visual acuity <20/400) in none out of 17 subjects. Conclusion Age‐related macular degeneration was found less frequently in the adult population in rural Central India than in Caucasian populations. Accordingly, visual impairment due to age‐related macular degeneration was relatively uncommon in the adult population in rural Central India.