Epidemiology Of Eye Disease Research Articles

Epidemiology of eye diseases in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is densely populated country in South Asia, faces significant challenges in eye health due to various socioeconomic, environmental, and healthcare access factors. Limited access to quality eye care services, poor hygiene practices, prevalence of infectious diseases, and a high burden of non-communicable diseases contribute to the prevalence of eye disorders in the region. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the prevalence, distribution, and risk factors associated with various eye diseases among the population of Bangladesh. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to gather data on the epidemiology of eye diseases in Bangladesh. Published studies, national surveys, and reports from relevant health organizations were reviewed to compile data on the prevalence, distribution, and risk factors of common eye conditions, including cataracts, refractive errors, conjunctivitis, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration. The prevalence of eye diseases in Bangladesh is relatively high, with conditions such as refractive errors, cataracts, glaucoma, and corneal diseases being major concerns. Refractive errors, including myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism, affect a substantial portion of the population, particularly among children and young adults. Cataracts, a leading cause of blindness worldwide, also pose a significant burden in Bangladesh, with prevalence increasing with age. While the prevalence of glaucoma in Bangladesh is lower compared to some other countries, the condition remains a cause of concern due to its impact on quality of life and the healthcare system. Diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes mellitus, affects the retina and is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness globally in the elderly. In Bangladesh, the rising prevalence of diabetes, fueled by changing lifestyles and an aging population, has contributed to an increasing burden of diabetic retinopathy. Conjunctivitis is prevalent, particularly in densely populated urban areas and rural communities with limited access to clean water and sanitation facilities.Collaborative efforts involving government agencies, healthcare providers, non-governmental organizations, and the community are essential to effectively address the burden of eye diseases in Bangladesh. By implementing preventive measures and improving access to quality eye care services, it is possible to mitigate the impact of these eye diseases and improve visual health outcomes for the population.

Актуальные проблемы эпидемиологии офтальмологической заболеваемости среди молодежи России и Центрального федерального округа.

Indicators of primary morbidity of the eyes and their appendages in adolescents aged 15–17 years and young people, in particular among students of higher educational institutions, increase annually due to increased visual stress as risk factors. The purpose of the work is to identify current problems in the epidemiology of ophthalmological morbidity among young people in the Russian Federation and the Central Federal District. Materials and methods. A theoretical analysis of the literature on the epidemiology of ophthalmic diseases in young people and a search for statistical data on the epidemiology of ophthalmic diseases was carried out. To assess the dynamics of epidemiological indicators, an increase calculation was carried out. Results. The increase in the incidence of visual organs in adolescents per 100 thousand children aged 15–17 years from 2000 to 2021 was +47.9%, and from 2018 to 2019 the increase in the incidence of myopia was +9.2%. In the structure of diseases for adolescents, it is pathologies of the visual organs that lead, and 40% of students have visual impairments, the detection of which increases by 3–7% annually, while the severity of myopia grows every year by 5–7%. The increase in morbidity of the eyes and adnexa in the Central Federal District for 2019–2021 was +57.5%, however, morbidity statistics do not consider the age distribution of diseases and their structure. The largest (+296.0 +110.1%) increase per 100 thousand population is observed for the Vladimir, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Ivanovo and Kaluga regions. It was revealed that in 2017, the incidence rate of eyes and their appendages in the Voronezh region over 10 years increased from 64.8 to 94.8 per 1000 students, 45.6% of students had impaired visual acuity. In the region, there is a staff shortage of ophthalmologists, insufficient coverage of preventive examinations and a low level of detection of patients at an early stage of disease. Conclusion. The epidemiology of eye diseases on the territory of the Russian Federation and its constituent entities in the young population has not been sufficiently studied. Improving regional analysis tools will help identify factors of variability in the epidemiology of eye diseases across the country’s regions. In regions with a high increase in ophthalmic morbidity, it is necessary to study in more detail the epidemiology of vision diseases in young people.

Epidemiology of eye diseases: outcomes from a free provincial eye clinic in Papua New Guinea.

To ascertain the prevalence and pattern of eye problems in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea. A six-month retrospective study was performed at Madang Provincial Hospital Eye Clinic. Convenience sampling was used in this study and all patient records from January to June 2020 were included. Data was extracted using Microsoft Excel and the data included gender, age, occupation, district where the patient lived, presenting visual acuity, and diagnosis. It was then analyzed using International Business Machines Corporation's Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 1,715 patients received services at the eye clinic between January and June 2020, and 1,664 were included in this study. The mean age of the patients was 39.3 ± 20.3 years. There were slightly more males (50.4%) than females. The overall leading ocular morbidities were corneal ulcers and keratitis (20.7%), refractive errors (17.4%), and cataracts (16.8%). More than half of the patients (56.2%) were either visually impaired or blind. Nearly half of the patients (41.8%) traveled long distances to seek services at the eye clinic. There was a significant association between demographic characteristics, diagnosis, and level of visual impairment. There is a high prevalence of potential causes of visual impairment and blindness in Madang Province and these conditions affect all age groups and genders. It is essential to increase accessibility to eye care services in the country.

Rationale, Design and Methodology of a Population-Based Ocular Study in a Suburbanization Region in Tianjin, China: The Beichen Eye Study

ABSTRACT Purpose The urbanization of suburbs has a significant impact on ocular health, however, the effect of this phenomenon on the epidemiology of eye diseases in the sub-urbanization region of China remains unclear. In this context, the population-based Beichen Eye Study (BCES) was conducted in the Beichen District of Tianjin, China. This article aims to summarize the background, design scheme and operation process of the study. The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry number was ChiCTR2000032280. Methods In total, 8218 participants were randomly selected by a multi-stage sampling method. After their qualification was confirmed, participants were mainly invited to a centralized clinic via telephone interviews after promotion of the study in the community. Examinations included a standardized interview, anthropometric assessment, autorefraction, ocular biometry, visual acuity, anterior and posterior segment examinations, dry eye disease (DED), intra-ocular pressure, visual field testing, gonioscopy, and imaging of anterior segment, posterior segment, fundus, and optic disc. A peripheral venous blood sample was also collected for biochemical testing. For observational purposes, a community-based type II diabetes mellitus management mode was created and assessed for its effect in preventing the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Results Of the 8,218 residents, 7,271 were eligible for inclusion, and 5,840 (80.32%) subjects were enrolled in the BCES. Most of the participants were female (64.38%) with a median age of 63 years, and 98.23% representing Han Chinese descent. Conclusions: This study provides insights into the epidemiological characteristics of major ocular diseases and their moderators in a suburbanized region of China.

On ‘Asian’ Distinctiveness and Race as a Variable: The Case of Ophthalmic Epidemiology in Singapore

The notion that Singapore’s multi-ethnic population provides a unique and quintessentially ‘Asian’ asset for its biomedical sciences initiative has been part of the discourse in local and international media coverage of that sector. It has also been highlighted by scholars as a feature of Singapore’s political economy. This article discusses how ‘racial/ethnic difference’ was initially central but then became peripheral to one high-profile research programme: the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Disease (SEED) Study Programme. The case study is offered as an example of the flexible deployment and situational enactment of racial/ethnic difference in biomedical science, by demonstrating how it gets entangled with and disentangled from the creation of scientific capital and legitimacy, as well as complicates the notion of ‘Asian’ science.

Ching-Yu Cheng: current status quo of population-based study on glaucoma

Dr. Ching-Yu Cheng ( Figure 1 ) is currently an Associate Professor of the Academic Medicine Research Institute and the Academic Clinical Program for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (Eye ACP) at Duke-NUS Graduate School of Medicine; and Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. He directs the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases (SEED) Program, a large multi-disciplinary research program focusing on epidemiology, imaging and genetics on eye diseases in Singapore.

The Global Vision Database – modeling the current and changing burden of eye disease

SummaryThe Global Vision Database has been established by an international consortium of 79 ophthalmologists and optometrists with an interest in the epidemiology of eye disease (The Vision Loss Expert Group, VLEG). This is an extremely comprehensive database of high quality population‐based prevalence eye surveys, dating from 1980 to 2015 from published and unpublished sources. The VLEG have published estimates of numbers blind and vision impaired by region worldwide by age, by sex and by cause. Working with the World Health Organisation, the group has been able to model the change in cause‐specific prevalence of vision loss over time, reporting recently the reduction in age‐standardised blindness prevalence over this time period. This talk will describe the project, the model used and the most recent findings and projections and introduce the audience to the visualisations project that makes this data accessible to any internet user.

Ching-Yu Cheng: current status quo of population-based study on glaucoma

Dr. Ching-Yu Cheng ( Figure 1 ) is currently an Associate Professor of the Academic Medicine Research Institute and the Academic Clinical Program for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (Eye ACP) at Duke-NUS Graduate School of Medicine; and Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. He directs the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases (SEED) Program, a large multi-disciplinary research program focusing on epidemiology, imaging and genetics on eye diseases in Singapore.

Epidemiology of Eye Diseases among Timber Workers in Owerri, Nigeria

Anepidemiological studyof the Timber Industry in Owerri, Nigeria was carriedout. It assessed the burden of eye diseases among Timber workers in terms of magnitude, causes and time. Certain eye diseases, notably, conjunctivitis, foreign bodies/injuries/traumas, pterygia, pinguecula and uveitis, each, accounting for 39.52%, 31.10%, 12.53%, 7.34% and 2.16% respectively, were found among theworkers. Theworkerswho have spent close to 16 -20 years in the industry recorded the highest prevalence (21.92%) of the eye diseases, while those who have spent about 1-5years recorded the least prevalence of 4.57%. Theworking environment was unsanitary and noworker wore any protective goggle. These two latter factors are believed to have contributed to the prevalence of these eye diseases among the workers. Keywords: Timber workers, eye diseases, work environment, prevalence, environmental pollutants.

Methodology of the Singapore Indian Chinese Cohort (SICC) Eye Study: Quantifying ethnic variations in the epidemiology of eye diseases in Asians

Purpose: Current knowledge of ethnic variability in the epidemiology of major eye diseases in Asia is limited. This report summarizes the rationale and study design of the Singapore Indian Chinese Cohort (SICC) Eye Study, a population-based study of ethnic South Asian (Indians) and East Asian (Chinese) older adults in Singapore.Methods: The SICC examined a population-based cross-sectional sample of 3,300 ethnic Indians and 3,300 ethnic Chinese aged 40–80+ years residing in the South-Western part of Singapore.Results: From two lists of 12,000 names of each ethnic group provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, age-stratified random sampling was used to select 6,350 names in each group, with a target sample size of 3,300. Invitations were sent to attend a central clinic using letters, telephone calls and home visits. Examination procedures included interviews, measurement of blood pressure, anthropometry, presenting and best-corrected visual acuity, subjective refraction, ocular biometry, Goldmann applanation tonometry, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, optic disc imaging and digital photography of the lens and retina, using a standardized protocol. Selected participants underwent gonioscopic examination, visual field testing, and anterior and posterior segment optical coherence tomography. Blood, tear, and urine samples were collected for biochemical analyses, and stored for genetic and proteomic studies.Conclusions: In conjunction with the Singapore Malay Eye Study, the SICC study will permit an in-depth evaluation of the prevalence, risk factors, and impact of major eye diseases in Chinese, Indians and Malays, three distinct Asian ethnic groups, whose combined numbers represent half the world’s population.

The Epidemiology of Eye Disease, 2nd Edition

The Epidemiology of Eye Disease, 2nd Edition

Trachoma among the Yanomami Indians.

The Yanomami are one of the last primitive groups of Indians living in Brazil. They have almost no contact with other cultures. The epidemiology of eye disease among Yanomami is virtually unknown. For the first time, a trachoma survey was conducted among Yanomami Indians in the State of Amazonas near the Venezuelan border of the Brazilian rain forest. Ophthalmic examination was carried out on a total of 613 individuals (338 males and 275 females) from eight Yanomami villages along the Maraui River located in the upper Rio Negro Basin. Age was classified into three categories (children, adults, and elderly) and trachoma was classified into five grades: follicular, inflammatory intense, cicatricial, trichiasis, and corneal opacity. Trachoma was endemic in all villages visited. Overall, 30.3% of the subjects had trachoma. Females were significantly more affected (37.4%) than males (23.9%). The inflammatory trachoma rate reached 24.9% in children and the cicatricial form increased with age, reaching 13.9% among adults and 35.21% among the elderly. Trichiasis or corneal opacities were not detected and treatment of the entire population was initiated with 1 g azithromycin. The detection of endemic trachoma among the Yanomami is relevant for the understanding of the epidemiology of this disease in the Brazilian rain forest and underscores the necessity for a program of trachoma control in this region.

Book review: The Epidemiology of Eye Disease, edited by Gordon J. Johnson, Darwin C. Minassian, and Robert Weal.

Book review: The Epidemiology of Eye Disease, edited by Gordon J. Johnson, Darwin C. Minassian, and Robert Weal.

Looking forward to 20/20: a focus on the epidemiology of eye diseases.

The encouraging scenario of international efforts to eliminate preventable and avoidable blindness is the legacy of public health ophthalmology in the 20th century. With active programs currently in place or beginning for the major cause of blindness in childhood and two of the leading infectious causes of blindness, it is natural that research in eye disease will shift even more heavily toward the leading causes of blindness in the older ages. The age-related eye diseases will rapidly become the most common causes of blindness and visual loss and, with the exception of cataract, are the more difficult to identify, diagnose, and treat. The human misery and social cost of blindness, especially in the countries that can ill afford it, are profound. To combat this problem, epidemiologic research in ophthalmology should look toward the following major areas: 1. the identification and testing of better screening modalities to determine early changes possibly amenable to preventive strategies. This includes detection of vitamin A deficiency as well. 2. the creation of uniform definitions for diseases, particularly glaucoma and early AMD, which have relevance for epidemiologic research into risk factors. 3. increased multidisciplinary research, working with investigators skilled in molecular genetics, biologic markers for age-related diseases, and those interested in new imaging and vision-testing techniques. 4. ongoing work in clinical trials of new approaches to prevent or delay the onset of vision loss from eye disease, including future vaccines for chlamydia and onchocerciasis. The major public health issue of blindness prevention will not disappear in the next century but only shift emphasis to different causes if the current programs achieve the success that is hoped. Future epidemiologic research will continue to require a concerted, sustained, and multidisciplinary effort in order to contribute to the vision research agenda in the next century.

Book Review The Epidemiology of Eye Disease Edited by Gordon J. Johnson, Darwin C. Minassian, and Robert Weale. 436 pp. New York, Chapman & Hall, 1998. $99.95. 0-412-64310-3

Book Review The Epidemiology of Eye Disease Edited by Gordon J. Johnson, Darwin C. Minassian, and Robert Weale. 436 pp. New York, Chapman & Hall, 1998. $99.95. 0-412-64310-3

Eye disease among ambulatory Jewish senior citizens in California

Knowledge of the epidemiology of eye disease among the elderly becomes increasingly important as our population ages. Leading causes of blindness in the elderly include age-related macular degeneration, open-angle glaucoma and cataract. Few studies have examined the prevalence of these blinding eye diseases among senior citizens. A retrospective review of vision screening examinations from 429 patients seen at the UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic in visits to a Jewish senior citizens' center was performed to examine the distribution of best recorded visual acuity and prevalence of eye disease in a group of ambulatory Jewish senior citizens. Best recorded visual acuity was > or = 20/40 in the better eye for 83.9% of the patients. The prevalence of age-related macular degeneration was 20.7%, and increased with increasing age (p < .00005). The prevalence of open-angle glaucoma was 6.3%. The prevalence of senile cataract was 59.0% and increased with increasing age (p < .00005). Despite the limitations imposed by a retrospective review of charts, our study provides an indication of the prevalence of blinding eye disease and distribution of visual acuity among ambulatory Jewish senior citizens in southern California. Except for the high prevalence of senile cataract, the prevalence data derived from this study are similar to other epidemiologic studies of eye disease in the elderly.

Epidemiology of eye disease.

Epidemiology of eye disease.

Epidemiology of eye disease in the elderly.

Most of the estimated 40 million blind individuals in the world are in the older age groups. Data on blindness and visual impairment are primarily from blindness registries and prevalence surveys in different countries throughout the world. The quality of these data vary tremendously from one country to another, and comparability of the results from different studies is difficult. However, all studies indicate an increase in the prevalence of visual loss and blindness with increasing age. Cataract is the most prevalent eye disease in the world and is a major cause of visual loss in developing as well as in developed countries. Other major eye diseases in the elderly include age related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. A number of risk factors have been suggested for cataract, age related macular degeneration, and glaucoma, yet few have been well established. Certain factors for these conditions are similar, including age, hypertension, prolonged exposure to sunlight, and nutritional factors such as Vitamin E. Epidemiologic studies are needed to define the risk factors for these different eye diseases with the goal of decreasing risk of disease and possible disease prevention, as well as developing better estimates of the magnitude of the problems of visual loss and eye diseases in the elderly.

Methodological problems in eye disease epidemiology.

The recent burst of activity in eye disease epidemiology, occasioned by increases in the number of ophthalmologists with training in epidemiology and of epidemiologists interested in eye diseases, makes this an appropriate time for taking stock of methodological problems in this field. In this review, based largely on the author's personal encounter with five large epidemiologic studies (2, 7, 19, 30, 39) of the four major chronic eye diseases (senile cataract, senile macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma), the following methodological areas are discussed: quality assurance; disease definitions and classifications; reproducibility of observations; visual acuity and visual field tests; needed technologic advances; study design of case-control studies and clinical trials; and data analysis (shall we count subjects or eyes?). The chief weakness of blindness registers has been inadequate evaluation of the extent of underregistration and of the variability of underregistration according to socioeconomic and racial subgroups. The Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HANES), conducted by the United States Public Health Service, is a potentially valuable source of descriptive and analytic epidemiologic information on eye diseases. It is an examination of a large probability sample of the US population and includes various histories, clinical and laboratory examinations, and a nutrition interview. In the early 1970s, HANES included eye examinations, but these were curtailed because of inability to get ophthalmologists as examiners. In future HANES studies, efforts should be made to minimize the involvement of ophthalmologists in the eye examinations and to increase the use of nonophthalmologists (e.g., optometrists, technicians) and instruments (e.g., cameras, densitometers, automated perimeters). The validity and reliability of any new procedures will need to be determined. Studies may need to be limited to certain major eye diseases and conditions. Population glaucoma surveys have tended to omit partially or entirely the time-consuming visual field test. Yet, without this test, the diagnostic examination for glaucoma is incomplete. The automated perimeter, with which visual fields can be more quickly measured, promises to be an important screening tool for glaucoma prevalence and case-finding surveys. It should be field-tested for epidemiologic use. The absence of standardized disease definitions, without which comparisons between studies are uncertain, has been a handicap to epidemiologic research in eye disease. A first constructive step toward the development of disease definitions would be the development of disease classifications.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)