Prevalence of Late Age–Related Maculopathy (AMD) in Greece. Thessaloniki Eye Study

Abstract

Purpose: : To present the prevalence estimates of late age–related maculopathy (AMD) in a well–defined, elderly population in Thessaloniki, Greece

Methods: : Subjects 60 years of age or older, randomly identified from municipality registers of the city of Thessaloniki, were invited to participate in the Thessaloniki Eye Study (TES), in which an extensive ophthalmologic examination was performed by trained ophthalmologists. The examination included measurement of habitual and best–corrected visual acuity, a dilated slit lamp examination, and evaluation of the macula with slit lamp biomicroscopy . AMD was defined, according to the International Classification and Grading System, as the presence of either geographic atrophy (GA) or neovascular (NV) AMD in either eye of a subject.

Results: : From October 2000 to March 2005, 2554 subjects were examined in the clinic or in their homes (participation rate 71%). The prevalence of AMD was 2.5%, while the prevalence of NV AMD and GA were 1.4% and 1.3%, respectively. AMD occurred bilaterally in 40% of subjects with AMD. Age was associated with greater prevalence of AMD. No statistically significant sex differences were found.

Conclusions: : The prevalence of AMD in people over 60 years of age in Greece is similar to the prevalence in other European–derived populations in Australia, the United States and Northern Europe.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence