Biomechanical Properties Of The Cornea In An Adult Population: The Alienor Study

Abstract

Purpose: : To analyze biomechanical properties of the cornea in elderly patients.

Methods: : The ALIENOR (Antioxydants, Lipides Essentiels, Nutrition and maladies OculaiRes) Study is a population-based epidemiological study on age-related eye diseases. In 2009-2010, 625 subjects, aged 75 years or more, had an eye examination, including intraocular pressure and central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements, and an evaluation of the biomechanical properties of the cornea using the ocular response analyser® (ORA®). Patients were classified in 3 groups of age (Group1: 75-79 years old (yo), Group2: 80-84 yo, Group3: > 84yo). Corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), corneal compensated intraocular pressure (IOPcc), Goldmann correlated intraocular pressure (IOPg), air pressure curve and infrared curve parameters were analyzed and compared between groups.

Results: : 436 patients had complete data. Mean age was 82.2+/-4.2 years, and 165 patients were included in the group 1 (37.8%), 164 in the group 2 (37.6%), 107 in the group 3 (24.5%). The mean CCT was 549.7+/-36.4µm and was not statistically different between groups (p=0.76). The mean CH was 9.9+/-1.8 mmHg and was significantly different between the 3 groups (Group 1: 10.1+/-1.7mmHg, Group 2: 9.9+/-1.9mmHg, Group 3: 9.4+/-1.7mmHg,p=0.008). The mean CRF was 10.2+/-1.8 mmHg and was significantly different between the 3 groups (group1:10.4+/-1.8mmHg, Group 2:10.4+/-1.8mmHg, Group 3:9.8+/-1.8mmHg,p=0.02). CH and CRF were not associated with gender.

Conclusions: : CH and CRF mean values significantly decrease with age in elderly patients. Biomechanical properties of the cornea change with advancing age and may influence intraocular pressure measurements.

Keywords: cornea: clinical science • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence • aging