Macular pigment optical density in a South Indian population

PURPOSE. To estimate the normal value of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) in an adult south Indian sample. METHODS. Three hundred eyes of 161 healthy volunteers (30 men and 30 women in each of the age groups of 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and ≥60 years) underwent MPOD measurement with a macular densitometer. Thirty-two eyes were also checked for intersession variability. RESULTS. The mean MPODs in the Indian sample were 0.64 ± 0.23 log unit at 0.25° eccentricity, 0.50 ± 0.21 log unit at 0.5°, 0.37 ± 0.19 log unit at 1.00°, and 0.21 ± 0.16 log unit at 1.75°. At all the foveal eccentricities, the MPOD showed an increase from 20 to 29 to 30 to 39 years of age and thereby showed a decrease with age. The men aged 40 to 49 years had significantly higher MPOD than did the women (0.75 vs. 0.62 log unit, P = 0.039), and the women aged 50 to 59 years had higher MPOD than did the men (0.71 vs. 0.57 log unit, P = 0.019). There was no significant intersession or interocular variation. CONCLUSIONS. This study establishes the MPOD normogram in an adult Indian sample.