PREVALENCE OF EYE DISORDERS AMONG THE ELDERLY IN LOS-ANGELES

A series of 431 vision screening records of seniors 55 years of age an d older were analysed. Patients were examined by the UCLA Mobile Eye C linic at two senior centers in the Los Angeles area, between the years 1982 and 1990. Sixty-eight percent of patients were females and 32% w ere males. The mean (+/- S.D.) age was 69 (+/- 7.5) years. Common diag noses were refractive errors (65.2%) and impaired visual acuity (37.0% ). The prevalences of refractive errors were: hyperopia, 24.8%; myopia , 10.4%; presbyopia, 54.1%; and astigmatism, 31.8%. In most patients ( 94.0%), impaired visual acuity was corrected by spectacles. The preval ence of cataract was 29.5% and age-specific prevalences of cataract in creased with age. The prevalences of other eye disorders were as follo ws: glaucoma, 6.3%; diabetic retinopathy, 1.2%; and macular degenerati on, 5.1%. This study highlights the degree of ophthalmic disorders ide ntified by vision screenings in the elderly population in senior cente rs; our results are consistent with previously reported studies of eye diseases in the elderly.