Asteroid hyalosis in an older population: the Blue Mountains Eye Study

To assess the prevalence of and associations with asteroid hyalosis in an older population.

The Blue Mountains Eye Study was a cross-sectional study of an older community (aged 49-97 years). Subjects included were those attending the baseline (n = 3654) and 5-year examinations (n = 2335) of this cohort. Asteroid hyalosis was diagnosed clinically by the presence of cream-white spherical bodies within the vitreous or from grading of stereo retinal photographs of both eyes. Logistic regression assessed age-sex adjusted associations with relevant characteristics, including diabetes and cardiovascular variables.

Asteroid hyalosis was found in 36 subjects (1.0%), 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7% to 1.3%, and was bilateral in three affected subjects (8.3%). An age-related increase in prevalence was observed, increasing from 0% of persons aged less than 55 years to 2.1% of persons aged 75 years or older. The prevalence of this sign was significantly higher in men (1.4%) than in women (0.6%), the age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 2.54 (CI 1.25-5.16). No statistically significant associations were found between asteroid hyalosis and a history of heart disease, gout, current smoking, the highest level of alcohol consumption or with presence of diabetes (diagnosed from history or fasting blood glucose tests).

Asteroid hyalosis was detected in 1% of participants in this Australian older population. No significant associations were found, apart from age and male gender. Our study provides similar age-specific prevalence data to a recent report from the Beaver Dam Eye Study for asteroid hyalosis.