Causes of blindness and visual impairment in a population-based sample of U.S. Hispanics

• Published in: Ophthalmology (Rochester, Minn.) Vol. 109; no. 4; pp. 737 - 743
• Main Authors: Rodriguez, Jorge, Sanchez, Rosario, Munoz, Beatriz, West, Sheila K, Broman, Aimee, Snyder, Robert W, Klein, Ronald, Quigley, Harry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.04.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Arizona - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blindness - ethnology; Blindness - etiology; Cataract - complications; Cataract - ethnology; Diabetic Retinopathy - complications; Diabetic Retinopathy - ethnology; Female; Glaucoma and intraocular pressure; Glaucoma, Open-Angle - complications; Glaucoma, Open-Angle - ethnology; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Macular Degeneration - complications; Macular Degeneration - ethnology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Ophthalmology; Prevalence; Sex Distribution; Vision Disorders - ethnology; Vision Disorders - etiology; Vision Tests; Visual Acuity; United States; North America; America; Arizona; Human; Eye disease; Open angle glaucoma; Etiology; Vision disorder; Blindness; Population; Spanish; Caucasoid; Public health; Ethnic group
• ISSN: 0161-6420
• DOI: 10.1016/S0161-6420(01)01008-9

To describe the causes of blindness and visual impairment in a population-based sample of Hispanics. A cross-sectional study. A random sample of 4774 Hispanic residents of Santa Cruz and Pima Counties in Southern Arizona aged 40 years and older who participated in Proyecto VER (Vision Evaluation and Research). Subjects were interviewed and underwent a thorough ophthalmic examination. Presenting and best-corrected visual acuity was determined using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study protocol, followed by a standardized ophthalmic examination to determine the causes of visual loss. Anterior and posterior segment specialists in ophthalmology confirmed the causes. Causes of visual loss (best-corrected acuity worse than 20/40). The response rate of eligible participants was more than 70%. Best-corrected acuity in the better seeing eye worse than 20/40 increased from 0.3% in those aged 40 to 49 to 5.6% in those aged 65 and older. The leading cause was cataract, accounting for 42% of all visual loss, followed by age-related macular degeneration (15%), and diabetic retinopathy (13%). Among 14 people who were bilaterally blind, open-angle glaucoma was the leading cause. Women had higher age-adjusted prevalence of severe cataract compared with men and were more likely to be visually impaired from cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and open-angle glaucoma, although gender differences were not statistically significant. Causes of visual impairment differ from those reported in Caucasian populations, with open-angle glaucoma being the leading cause of blindness. Further work on gender-based obstacles to eye care in the Hispanic community may be warranted.