Five-Year Refractive Changes in an Adult Population: Reykjavik Eye Study

doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2004.11.039

Ophthalmology

Volume 112, Issue 4, April 2005, Pages 672-677

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2004.11.039 Get rights and content

Purpose

To study refractive changes over the course of 5 years in citizens of Reykjavik 50 years and older at baseline.

Methods

The cohort was a population-based random sample of citizens 50 years and older. Eight hundred forty-six of the 958 survivors (88.2%) underwent a 5-year follow-up examination. Refraction and keratometry were performed using a Nidek (Gamagori, Japan) ARK 900 autorefractor keratometer. Typing and grading of lens opacification was carried out using Scheimpflug slit-lamp and retroilluminated images (Nidek EAS 1000), and axial length was measured by Nidek Echoscan 800.

Results

Seven hundred fifty-seven right eyes were available for refraction analysis. In the 50- to 59-year age group and the 60- to 69-year age group at baseline, there was a hyperopic shift of 0.41 diopters (D) and 0.34 D, respectively, during the 5 years. There was a 0.02-D myopic shift for those 70 years of age and older at baseline during the same period. Considering all right eyes, there was a hyperopic shift of +0.29 D over the 5 years, whereas eyes with nuclear lens opacification grade II or more at baseline had a mean myopic shift of −0.65 D. There was a mean change of 0.13 D in the astigmatism against the rule during the 5 years. The data on axial length are available from the follow-up study only. The mean axial length for those 50 to 59 years of age at baseline was 23.56 mm (standard deviation [SD], 1.08 mm), as compared with 23.23 mm (SD, 1.27 mm) for those 70 years of age and older at baseline (P<0.04).

Conclusions

We found a hyperopic shift for those younger than 70 years of age at baseline, although eyes with nuclear opacification grade of II or more at baseline were associated with a myopic shift. There was also an age-related shift against the rule for the axis of astigmatism during the 5-year period. Our results may be useful for predicting long-term outcome of refractive surgery.

Section snippets

Patients and Methods

After approval from the ethics committee and the data protection commission, the prospective participants were approached and asked to participate. If they agreed, they were asked to sign an informed consent. All procedures adhered to the provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki. The methodology has been described elsewhere.1, 2, 3, 4 In brief, in 1996, 1700 citizens of Reykjavik 50 years of age and older were selected randomly from the national population census in equal proportion for each

Results

Results are presented for the right eyes. The results for the left eyes were similar. Eight hundred forty-six persons were examined both at baseline in 1996 and 5 years later in 2001. Of those persons, 89 were excluded, 57 because of cataract surgery, 31 with data missing from 1996 or 2001, and 1 person having had corneal refractive surgery.

Of the 57 persons excluded because of cataract surgery, 43 (75.4%) were 70 years of age or older at baseline. This analysis is based on the remaining 757

Discussion

The strength of this longitudinal population-based study may be the high participation rate, especially at follow-up, and a standardized comprehensive approach, including the use of Scheimpflug photography, autorefraction and keratometry, and ultrasound measurements, the last giving axial length measurements missing in many larger studies. Limitations may include the relatively small sample size and only cross-sectional data available for axial length.

We found a hyperopic shift for those 50 to

Acknowledgment

The authors thank the Reykjavik Eye Study Group for their contribution.

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Katoh N, Jonasson F, Sasaki H, et al, Reykjavik Eye Study Group. Cortical lens opacification in Iceland. Risk factor...

Arnarsson A, Jonasson F, Sasaki H, et al, Reykjavik Eye Study Group. Risk factors for nuclear lens opacification: the...

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Ten years after rigid iris-fixated pIOL implantation, the CDVA and UDVA decreased significantly as a result of significant myopization caused by an increased AL unrelated to the pIOL.
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View all citing articles on Scopus

: Manuscript no. 2004-103.

: Supported by grants from the Helga Jonsdottir and Sigurlidi Kristjansson Memorial Fund, Reykjavik, Iceland; St. Joseph Hospital, Landakot Foundation, Reykjavik, Iceland; University National Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland; and University of Iceland Research Grants, Reykjavik, Iceland (FJ).

: The authors have no financial or commercial interest in the subject matter or material mentioned herein.

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Original articleFive-Year Refractive Changes in an Adult Population: Reykjavik Eye Study

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Patients and Methods

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgment

Ophthalmology

J Cataract Refract Surg

Ophthalmology

“With the rule” astigmatism is not the rule in the elderlyReykjavik Eye Study: a population based study of refraction and visual acuity in citizens of Reykjavik 50 years and older

Acta Ophthalmol Scand

The prevalence of age-related maculopathy in Iceland: Reykjavik Eye Study

Arch Ophthalmol

The Reykjavik Eye Study—prevalence of lens opacification with reference to identical Japanese studies

Ophthalmologica

Prevalence of open-angle glaucoma in Iceland: Reykjavik Eye Study

Eye

Refractive error blindness

Bull World Health Organ

Prevalence and risk factors for refractive errors in an adult inner city population

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci

Ocular biometry and refraction in Mongolian adults

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci

A new grading system for nuclear cataracts—an alternative to the Japanese Cooperative Cataract Epidemiology Study Group's grading system

Dev Ophthalmol

Original article
Five-Year Refractive Changes in an Adult Population: Reykjavik Eye Study