Purpose:
To determine the 4-year incidence of major visually impairing eye disease in adult Latinos in the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES).
Methods:
Population-based, longitudinal study investigating the 4-year incidence of major visually impairing eye disease, defined as the aggregate incidence of the following: open-angle glaucoma, ocular hypertension, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, lens opacity, and uncorrected refractive error. A comprehensive ophthalmic examination was performed on Latinos 40 years and older at baseline and at the 4-year follow-up, including IOP measurements, visual field testing, simultaneous stereoscopic optic disc and fundus photography, and assessments of presenting binocular visual acuity and best-corrected distance visual acuity in both eyes, using a standard Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy protocol. Photographs were graded using standardized protocols by masked graders. Glaucoma was determined by expert agreement of optic disc and visual field assessment. A modified Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System was used to estimate the incidence of AMD. Lens opacities were graded using a LOCS II grading at the slit lamp. Main outcome measures are 4-year incidence of aggregated major visually impairing conditions stratified by age.
Results:
Of the 4522 of 6100 participants (74%) who completed the follow-up examination, the 4-year incidence of aggregated major visually impairing eye disease was 19.7% (95% CI, 18.5-20.9%), or an average of 4.9%/year, based on 891 new cases. For individuals 50 and older, the average incidence was 26.6%, nearly triple that of those younger than 50 (9.7%, P < 0.0001). There were no gender-related differences in incidence.
Conclusions:
Given the near tripling in the incidence of aggregated major visually impairing eye disease in Latinos ≥ 50 years of age compared to those < 50 years of age, we recommend regular routine eye examinations and screening programs to reduce vision loss due to eye disease in aging Latinos.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: biostatistics/epidemiology methodology • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment