This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
AMD prevalence in northern Norway comparable to that of other regions
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in elderly adults in northern Norway was similar to that of other Caucasian populations, according to a large study.
The Tromsø Eye Study included 2,631 subjects from Tromsø, Norway, with a mean age of 72.3 years.
Subjects underwent systemic and ophthalmic evaluations and interviews, and they completed a questionnaire.
Investigators graded digital color fundus photographs for presence of drusen, drusen size, and late AMD features such as geographic atrophy and neovascular AMD. Predominant phenotypes were based on the most severe features.
Drusen that was 63 µm to 125 µm was the predominant phenotype in 34.9% of subjects. Drusen that was greater than 125 µm was identified in 24.1% of subjects, neovascular AMD was identified in 2.5% of subjects, and geographic atrophy was identified in 1% of subjects. The presence of drusen increased with age.
Bilateral late AMD was identified in 1.1% of subjects.
The prevalence of late AMD increased with age. During interviews, up to 52% of subjects with late AMD denied having a previous diagnosis of AMD.
Spherical equivalent refractive error was 0.078 D in eyes with late AMD and 0.99 D in all other eyes; the difference was statistically significant (P < .0001).
Snellen visual acuity was 0.32 or less in 42.5% of eyes, the authors said.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts