Glaucoma most prevalent cause of visual field loss in China, study shows

Contrary to many Western countries, age-related macular degeneration and retinal vessel diseases like diabetic retinopathy do not play a key role in causing visual field loss in China, a team of researchers say.

Yaxing Wang, MD, of the Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology and researchers examined 4,439 of 5,324 people ages 40 and older who were living in one of seven selected rural and village communities. Researchers assessed the visual field through frequency doubling threshold perimetry. Measurement data were provided for 4,350 of the 4,439 people examined by frequency doubling perimetry.

After the completion of the study, data showed that the greatest cause of visual field loss for subjects between the ages of 40 and 49 was degenerative myopia, while cataract was the most frequent cause in people ages 60 to 69.

The study also showed that for those over the age of 70, the most prevalent cause for visual field loss was glaucoma, followed by cataract and degenerative myopia, respectively.

Overall, visual field loss was strongly associated with age, myopic refractive error, rural region, level of education, degree of nuclear cataract and IOP, researchers said.

The article appears in the June issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.