[Causes of visual impairment in Mie Prefecture during a 5-year period]

The purpose of this study was to determine the causes of visual impairment in Mie prefecture during a five-year period.

The study was conducted between April 2004 and March 2009 in Mie Prefecture. 1,322 visually impaired people as defined by the Act on Welfare of Physically Disabled Persons were enrolled. We reviewed age, sex, causes of visual impairment, degree of disability and medical conditions according to their physical disability certificate.

The four major causes of visual impairment were glaucoma (20.3%), diabetic retinopathy (18.9%), retinitis pigmentosa (12.2%), and macular degeneration (9.1%), followed by chorioretinal degeneration, stroke or brain tumor, optic atrophy, and cataract. The average ages of the four major causes were glaucoma (77.1 years), diabetic retinopathy (65.1 years), retinitis pigmentosa (62.5 years) and macular degeneration (77.7 years).

The most common cause of visual impairment in Mie prefecture was glaucoma. The four major causes in Mie prefecture were the same as the results of the nation-wide investigation reported in 2006.