Prospective study of severe and moderate visual impairment in 1 172 patients attending an ophthalmology clinic

Purpose: Data on blindness and visual impairment in patients attending opht halmology clinics at the Orleans regional hospital center serving a semi-ru ral area in France were prospectively studied to examine prevalence of visu al impairment. Material and methods: Clinical data on 1,172 consecutive and different pati ents attending the ophthalmology department during half-days over a 3-month period were collected and analyzed using a computerized system. Results: Prevalence of visual impairment (20/30 or less in the better eye) was 3% in subjects under 60 years of age and rose to 13.7% and 35.9% for pa tients in the 60-79 age range and over 80 years respectively. For patients under 60, the prevalence of severe visual impairment (20/200 or less in the better eye) was 1.2% and rose dramatically in older patients: 5.8% and 14. 6% in the 60-79 year old patients and the over 80 patients respectively. Th ere was no significant difference in the prevalence of visual impairment by sex. Leading causes of severe visual impairment among patients aged 60 yea rs or older were macular degeneration (40%), diabetic retinopathy (16.6%) a nd cataract (13.3%). The prevalence of irreversible severe visual impairmen t was 7.4% among patients 60years of age or older. Conclusion: A large number of patients attending our ophthalmology clinic h ave severe visual impairment, particularly those over 60 years of age. Our findings are comparable with extrapolations for population-based studies in English speaking countries and can be used to evaluate the prevalence of v isual impairment in French rural areas. As the population ages, need for ey e health care becomes more and more evident. It is important to organize sy stematic visual examination in subjects aged 70 to 80 years and to implemen t educational programs as part of local national health care policies for h elping the visually impaired.