Ophthalmologic health status of an aging population-data from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II)

Vision of the elderly may be affected by typical age-related diseases like cataract and macular degeneration. Little is known about the effect of aging on visual difficulties and vision-related quality of life. This study was conducted to compare the ophthalmological health status of younger and older individuals within a large cohort study of residents of a greater metropolitan area (Berlin Aging Study II [BASE-II]).

A total of 1655 participants (805 men) aged 60 years and older and 494 participants (232 men) aged between 22 and 48 years from the Berlin Aging Study II were included in the analysis. The subjects were examined during a 2-day clinical examination period. History of ocular diseases, vision-related quality of life using the visual function questionnaire (VFQ- 25), refraction, distance and near visual acuity, tonometry, and color vision were provided.

Older subjects performed significantly worse concerning distance and near visual acuity, color vision, and vision-related quality of life compared to young subjects. Intraocular pressure showed no significant difference between groups. Individuals are often unaware of existing eye diseases.

The prevalence of ocular diseases and the impairment of vision increases with age. Although 98% of elderly subjects have reported to suffer from any ocular disease, subjective quality of life seems to be affected to a lesser extent.