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Routine eye exams detect new eye conditions in asymptomatic patients
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Researchers found that more than half of the asymptomatic patients who presented for a routine eye exam had a change in ocular status or care compared with 77% of symptomatic routine eye exam patients, according to a study in Optometry and Vision Science.
From the Waterloo Eye Study of 6,397 subjects, researchers focused on the 2,656 asymptomatic patients. Of those, 1,078 (41%) patients had spectacle prescription changes, 434 (16%) patients had new critical diagnoses, 809 (31%) patients had new managements and 1,535 (58%) had at least one of these, according to researchers.
They found that as age increased, so did the likelihood of a patient having a significant change.
Further, the longer a patient waits for their next vision assessment, the older they will be at presentation, which increases the risk of age-related conditions.
Researchers found that routine eye examinations appear to be productive in asymptomatic patients, and this appears to increase with age. – by Abigail Sutton
Disclosure: The researchers reported no relevant financial disclosures.
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