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The Medical Clinics of North America May 2021Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness. The main risk factor is advancing age, with the severity of vision loss ranging from mild to... (Review)
Review
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness. The main risk factor is advancing age, with the severity of vision loss ranging from mild to severe. There is a 25% risk of early AMD and 8% risk of late AMD in patients over the age of 75, with the number of cases expected to increase because of the aging population. Diagnosis of the disease requires a dilated fundus examination. Physicians should be aware of the symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options for AMD to refer appropriately for ophthalmologic evaluation. Early detection can be helpful to prevent disease progression.
Topics: Blindness; Humans; Macular Degeneration; Risk Factors; Sensory Aids; Vision, Low
PubMed: 33926642
DOI: 10.1016/j.mcna.2021.01.003 -
The Lancet. Global Health Feb 2021To contribute to the WHO initiative, VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, an assessment of global vision impairment in 2020 and temporal change is needed. We aimed to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
To contribute to the WHO initiative, VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, an assessment of global vision impairment in 2020 and temporal change is needed. We aimed to extensively update estimates of global vision loss burden, presenting estimates for 2020, temporal change over three decades between 1990-2020, and forecasts for 2050.
METHODS
We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based surveys of eye disease from January, 1980, to October, 2018. Only studies with samples representative of the population and with clearly defined visual acuity testing protocols were included. We fitted hierarchical models to estimate 2020 prevalence (with 95% uncertainty intervals [UIs]) of mild vision impairment (presenting visual acuity ≥6/18 and <6/12), moderate and severe vision impairment (<6/18 to 3/60), and blindness (<3/60 or less than 10° visual field around central fixation); and vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia (presenting near vision
FINDINGS
In 2020, an estimated 43·3 million (95% UI 37·6-48·4) people were blind, of whom 23·9 million (55%; 20·8-26·8) were estimated to be female. We estimated 295 million (267-325) people to have moderate and severe vision impairment, of whom 163 million (55%; 147-179) were female; 258 million (233-285) to have mild vision impairment, of whom 142 million (55%; 128-157) were female; and 510 million (371-667) to have visual impairment from uncorrected presbyopia, of whom 280 million (55%; 205-365) were female. Globally, between 1990 and 2020, among adults aged 50 years or older, age-standardised prevalence of blindness decreased by 28·5% (-29·4 to -27·7) and prevalence of mild vision impairment decreased slightly (-0·3%, -0·8 to -0·2), whereas prevalence of moderate and severe vision impairment increased slightly (2·5%, 1·9 to 3·2; insufficient data were available to calculate this statistic for vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia). In this period, the number of people who were blind increased by 50·6% (47·8 to 53·4) and the number with moderate and severe vision impairment increased by 91·7% (87·6 to 95·8). By 2050, we predict 61·0 million (52·9 to 69·3) people will be blind, 474 million (428 to 518) will have moderate and severe vision impairment, 360 million (322 to 400) will have mild vision impairment, and 866 million (629 to 1150) will have uncorrected presbyopia.
INTERPRETATION
Age-adjusted prevalence of blindness has reduced over the past three decades, yet due to population growth, progress is not keeping pace with needs. We face enormous challenges in avoiding vision impairment as the global population grows and ages.
FUNDING
Brien Holden Vision Institute, Fondation Thea, Fred Hollows Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Sightsavers International, and University of Heidelberg.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blindness; Cataract; Eye Diseases; Female; Forecasting; Glaucoma; Global Burden of Disease; Global Health; Humans; Macular Degeneration; Male; Middle Aged; Presbyopia; Vision, Low; Visual Acuity
PubMed: 33275950
DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30425-3 -
British Dental Journal Nov 2022
Topics: Humans; Blindness
PubMed: 36369535
DOI: 10.1038/s41415-022-5203-9 -
Cortex; a Journal Devoted To the Study... Oct 2019
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blindness; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Visual Cortex; Visual Perception
PubMed: 30808548
DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.01.027 -
Survey of Ophthalmology 2022Given the rising number of patients with blindness from macular, optic nerve, and visual pathway disease, there is considerable interest in the potential of electrical... (Review)
Review
Given the rising number of patients with blindness from macular, optic nerve, and visual pathway disease, there is considerable interest in the potential of electrical stimulation devices to restore vision. Electrical devices for restoration of visual function can be grouped into three categories: (1) visual prostheses whose goal is to bypass damaged areas and directly activate downstream intact portions of the visual pathway; (2) electric field stimulation whose goal is to activate endogenous transcriptional and molecular signaling pathways to promote neuroprotection and neuro-regeneration; and (3) neuromodulation whose stimulation would resuscitate neural circuits vital to coordinating responses to visual input. In this review, we discuss these three approaches, describe advances made in the different fields, and comment on limitations and potential future directions.
Topics: Blindness; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Humans; Visual Prosthesis
PubMed: 34487742
DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2021.08.008 -
Eye (London, England) Apr 2024Over 180,000 Cambodian people are blind and a further 10,000 suffer avoidable blindness each year. Ninety percent of this blindness is avoidable, 79% is curable and 11%... (Review)
Review
Over 180,000 Cambodian people are blind and a further 10,000 suffer avoidable blindness each year. Ninety percent of this blindness is avoidable, 79% is curable and 11% is preventable. Three-quarters of this blindness is due to cataracts and the remainder is due to uncorrected vision, glaucoma, corneal scarring and pterygium. The Khmer Sight Foundation (KSF) is a charity reincarnated by Professor Sunil Shah and Sean Ngu. Its mission is to deliver a sustainable eye care model for the country. KSF takes a three pronged approach to this. It is working to develop sustainable eye-care within the country through building physical infrastructure. The second approach is to impact the current cataract backlog of over 300,000 patients with the aid of international support. Thirdly, KSF is paving the way for the next generation through the development of an optometry education programme and training of Cambodian ophthalmologists. Here we present the workings of KSF, clinical cases we have encountered and elaborate upon the future goals of this charity.
Topics: Humans; Ophthalmology; Cambodia; Cataract; Blindness; Southeast Asian People
PubMed: 38135774
DOI: 10.1038/s41433-023-02846-9 -
Ugeskrift For Laeger May 2023Unilateral acute maculopathy is a rare inflammatory macular disorder believed to be caused by viral infection, especially Coxsackievirus. It most commonly affects young...
Unilateral acute maculopathy is a rare inflammatory macular disorder believed to be caused by viral infection, especially Coxsackievirus. It most commonly affects young healthy adults. This is a case report of unilateral acute maculopathy in a 28-year-old man with concurrent hand, foot and mouth disease. Although the typical acute manifestation of the disease is sudden, severe, unilateral central vision loss, most patients achieve full visual recovery over the course of several weeks without therapy.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Male; Blindness; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease; Macular Degeneration; Recovery of Function
PubMed: 37264868
DOI: No ID Found -
Psychiatria Polska Apr 2020Anxiety and anxiety disorders among people with visual impairment are more frequent than in the general population. It is estimated that . of people with visual... (Review)
Review
Anxiety and anxiety disorders among people with visual impairment are more frequent than in the general population. It is estimated that . of people with visual impairment face depression and/or anxiety, whereas 4-6% of people are diagnosed with anxiety disorders. The purpose of this paper is analyzing the occurrence of anxiety in people with visual impairment based on current information. Literature review indicates that people with visual impairment experience the common, as well as the more specific, often chronic anxiety symptoms. Despite the significance of the foregoing phenomenon and its negative consequences, literature does not explain its causes, specify the problem, and most importantly, does not provide recommendations for preventing the occurrence of anxiety in the foregoing group of people. In order to understand the nature of anxiety, it is important to learn more about its causes and consequences for health,both biopsychosocial and spiritual wellbeing. In people with visual impairment this may depend on particular conditions which these people face every day, therefore the concept of anxiety in this group of people requires a separate consideration.
Topics: Anxiety; Attitude to Health; Comorbidity; Female; Humans; Male; Quality of Life; Vision Disorders; Visually Impaired Persons
PubMed: 32772060
DOI: 10.12740/PP/OnlineFirst/85408 -
Deutsches Arzteblatt International Feb 2023
Topics: Humans; Blindness; Risk Factors
PubMed: 37005723
DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2022.0321 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2020Most irreversible blindness results from retinal disease. To advance our understanding of the etiology of blinding diseases, we used single-cell RNA-sequencing... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Most irreversible blindness results from retinal disease. To advance our understanding of the etiology of blinding diseases, we used single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to analyze the transcriptomes of ~85,000 cells from the fovea and peripheral retina of seven adult human donors. Utilizing computational methods, we identified 58 cell types within 6 classes: photoreceptor, horizontal, bipolar, amacrine, retinal ganglion and non-neuronal cells. Nearly all types are shared between the two retinal regions, but there are notable differences in gene expression and proportions between foveal and peripheral cohorts of shared types. We then used the human retinal atlas to map expression of 636 genes implicated as causes of or risk factors for blinding diseases. Many are expressed in striking cell class-, type-, or region-specific patterns. Finally, we compared gene expression signatures of cell types between human and the cynomolgus macaque monkey, Macaca fascicularis. We show that over 90% of human types correspond transcriptomically to those previously identified in macaque, and that expression of disease-related genes is largely conserved between the two species. These results validate the use of the macaque for modeling blinding disease, and provide a foundation for investigating molecular mechanisms underlying visual processing.
Topics: Animals; Atlases as Topic; Blindness; Fovea Centralis; Humans; Macaca fascicularis; RNA-Seq; Retina; Species Specificity; Transcriptome
PubMed: 32555229
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66092-9