Abstract
Purpose:
Keratoconus (KC) is a progressive, noninflammatory, bilateral, asymmetrical ectatic corneal disease, characterized by paraxial stromal thinning and weakening that leads to corneal surface distortion. The literature on keratoconus is large and contradictory regarding the roles of disruption of collagen fibers, lamellae, and proteoglycans in the disease. As some diseases are related with mental disturbances and bad emotions controls, chronical illnesses describes some personalities. In 1965, Copeman described an odd personality in pacients with keratoconus. The quality of life is influenced by keratoconus which worsens the physical and mental components as showed in generic questionary SF-36 (Medical Outcomes Study 36 - Item Short form health survey). The ocular changes in floopy eyelid syndrome seem to be the result of an underlying metabolic (or endocrine) disorder. And there is a strong relationship between floppy eyelid syndrome and keratoconus. At the Departament of Ophthalmology at Unicamp - Brazil, we observed a high prevalence of obesity in patients followed due to keratoconus and few articles about it in internacional literature. Our study aims to determine the relationship of body mass index (BMI), as a standard measurement of overweight, in patients with keratoconus.
Methods:
A transversal study was realized between January and September 2013 at the Departament of Ophthalmology at Unicamp - Brazil. Patients were weighed in mechanic balance and had their stature measured. All informations were analysed by chi-square test and compared with the database of the world health organization (WHO).
Results:
According to WHO classification of BMI from 2011, 48,5% of brazilian population are overweight and 15,8% are obeses. In this study, 111 patients were rated, resulting in: 7,2% (8) are underweight (BMI < 18,5), 50,4% (56) are at the normal range (BMI 18,5 - 25), 24,3% (27) overweight (BMI 25-30) and 18% (20) obeses (BMI > 30). The relative risk is 1,14 and chi-square p=0,610.
Conclusions:
Despite the prevalence of obeses in this study are higher than in WHO, the groups do not have statistical significance. In conclusion, null hypothesis cannot be denied. More studies should be realized to verify relation between obesity and keratoconus.
Keywords: 574 keratoconus •
463 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence