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The Tromsø Eye Study: study design, methodology and results on visual acuity and refractive errors.
Geir Bertelsen1, Maja G Erke, Therese von Hanno
1Department of Ophthalmology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, NorwayResearch Group of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, NorwayBrain and Circulation Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, NorwayDepartment of Ophthalmology, Nordland Hospital, Bodø, NorwayDepartment of Neurology and Neurophysiology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, NorwayNIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UKUCL Institute of Ophthalmology, Head of Reading Centre, London, UKDepartment of Ophthalmology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
The Tromsø Eye Study found low visual impairment prevalence, increasing with age. Refractive error showed a trend towards hyperopia with age, with no significant sex differences.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- The Tromsø Eye Study (TES) is a sub-study of the Tromsø Study, a longitudinal population-based research initiative in Norway.
- TES is integrated into the sixth survey of the Tromsø Study, conducted between October 2007 and December 2008.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the design and methodology of the Tromsø Eye Study.
- To characterize visual acuity and refractive error within the study population.
Main Methods:
- Eye examinations included self-reported eye diseases, visual acuity, refractive error assessment, retinal photography, and optical coherence tomography.
- Retinal images were analyzed for diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, with computer-assisted measurements of retinal vasculature.
- Researchers accessed the comprehensive Tromsø Study database for integrated analysis of ocular health with systemic health data.
Main Results:
- Visual acuity and refraction data were collected from 6,459 and 6,566 participants, respectively (aged 38-87).
- Prevalence of visual acuity <20/60 was 1.2%, increasing significantly with age, reaching 7.3% in the 80-87 age group.
- A trend towards hyperopia with age was observed, with no clinically significant gender-based differences in refractive error.
Conclusions:
- Visual impairment prevalence in the Tromsø population is low but escalates with age.
- The study highlights a tendency towards age-related hyperopia and consistent refractive error between sexes.
- TES provides a robust dataset for epidemiological research on eye diseases and their interaction with environmental factors and cognition.
