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Projected number of Australians with glaucoma in 2000 and 2030
Author(s) -
Rochtchina Elena,
Mitchell Paul
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
clinical and experimental ophthalmology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.3
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1442-9071
pISSN - 1442-6404
DOI - 10.1046/j.1442-9071.2000.00308.x
Subject(s) - medicine , glaucoma , ocular hypertension , intraocular pressure , optometry , ophthalmology , population , environmental health
Accurate Australian glaucoma prevalence has been provided by two population‐based studies: the Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) and the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project (MVIP). Both studies defined glaucoma as the presence of matching optic disc cupping with rim thinning and glaucomatous field defects demonstrated on automated perimetry. Combining ‘definite’ and ‘probable’ rates, the glaucoma prevalence in persons aged 50 and over, age‐standardized for the 2000 projected Australian population, was 2.70% (BMES) and 3.13% (MVIP), including rates for ‘definite’ glaucoma of 2.12% (BMES) and 2.50% (MVIP). The number of Australians aged 50 and over in the year 2000 with glaucoma could be estimated as from 144 000 persons (BMES) to 167 000 persons (MVIP). Assuming similar age‐specific rates, the number of Australians aged 50 and over in the year 2030 with glaucoma could be estimated as from 307 000 persons (BMES) to 337 000 persons (MVIP). Ocular hypertension (OH) was defined as present in subjects without glaucoma with intraocular pressure (IOP) of more than 21 mmHg, including treated subjects with ‘normal’ examination IOP. The age‐standardized OH prevalence was 5.15% (BMES), which projects to 275 000 Australians with OH in 2000, increasing to 513 000 in 2030.