Prevalence and risk factors of lens opacities in rural populations living at two different altitudes in China
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Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province, China (No. 2014021009).

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    Abstract:

    AIM: To investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for lens opacities in populations living at two different altitudes in China. METHODS: A total of 813 subjects aged ≥40y in Lhasa (Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Altitude: 3658 m) and Shaoxing (Zhejiang Province, China. Altitude: 15 m) were underwent eye examinations and interviewed in this cross-sectional study. Participants’ lens opacities were graded according to the Lens Opacities Classification System II (LOCS II) and the types of opacities with LOCS II scores ≥2 were determined. Univariate and stepwise logistic regression were used to evaluate the associations of independent risk factors with lens opacities. RESULTS: Lens opacities were significantly more prevalent in the high-altitude than in the low-altitude area (χ2=10.54, P<0.001). Lens opacities appear to develop earlier in people living at high than at low altitude. The main types of lens opacity in Lhasa and Shaoxing were mixed (23.81%) and cortical (17.87%), respectively. Independent risk factors associated with all lens opacities were age, ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure, and educational level. Compared with participants aged 40-49y, the risk of lens opacities increased gradually from 2 to 85 times per 10y [odds ratio (OR)=2.168-84.731, P<0.05). The risk of lens opacities was about two times greater in participants with the highest UV exposure than in those with the lowest exposure (OR=2.606, P=0.001). Educational level was inversely associated with lens opacities; literacy deceased the risk by about 25% compared with illiteracy (OR=0.758, P=0.041). CONCLUSION: Old age, higher UV exposure and lower educational level are important risk factors for the development of lens opacities. Lens opacities are more prevalent among high-altitude than low-altitude inhabitants.

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Jia-Ming Yu, De-Qi Yang, Han Wang, et al. Prevalence and risk factors of lens opacities in rural populations living at two different altitudes in China. Int J Ophthalmol, 2016,9(4):610-616

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Publication History
  • Received:June 04,2015
  • Revised:August 31,2015
  • Adopted:
  • Online: April 15,2016
  • Published: