The Pan-American Journal of Ophthalmology (Jan 2023)
Ophdthalmological profile in the elderly aged 80 years or more in the city of Maués – Amazonas
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and main causes of visual impairment and blindness in the elderly aged 80 years or more, predominantly living in the urban area of the municipality of Maués – Amazon/Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of a population of 360 elderly people aged 80 years or more, predominantly living in the urban area of the City of Maués-AM, who were invited to a complete eye examination along with a questionnaire to describe nutritional habits and frequency consumption of guarana. Uncorrected visual acuity, presented visual acuity, and best-corrected visual acuity of each eye were obtained. If necessary, prescription for glasses, surgery, or other types of treatment was provided free of charge. Results: A total of 360 individuals aged between 80 and 108 years (mean: 86.02 ± 5.57 years) were submitted to an ophthalmological evaluation. Of these, 182 (50.5%) were male and 178 (49.5%) female. Of the total number of eyes examined, the causes of visual impairment and blindness were cataract (51.8%), refractive errors (12.2%), age-related macular degeneration (9.1%), other nerve atrophies (3.9%), posterior capsule opacity (3.6%), glaucoma (3.5%), corneal changes (3.3%), absent globe/phthisis (3.1%), other retinal changes (1.1%), diabetic retinopathy (1.0%), pterygium (0.6%), amblyopia (0.4%), and other causes (1.8%). According to the Nutritional Screening Initiative Nutritional Dysfunction Questionnaire, 45.0% of the participants had low risk of nutritional dysfunction, 51.7% moderate risk, and 3.3% high risk. Conclusions: A high frequency of blindness (43.6%) was detected in this sample of very elderly people living in urban areas in the city of Maués. The main causes of blind eyes would be preventable with provision for cataract surgery followed by postoperative actions and prescription of glasses. Half of the elderly (50.0%) reported frequent consumption of guarana, at least once a week, but this did not prove to protect against visual impairment and blindness. These results reflect this population's limited access to eye care services, reinforcing the need for sustainable actions to improve eye health in remote areas of Brazil.
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