Corneal biomechanics in different age groups.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Corneal Physiology

Background:

• Corneal biomechanical properties are crucial for ocular health and refractive surgery outcomes.
• Understanding age-related changes in corneal biomechanics is essential for accurate intraocular pressure assessment.
• The Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) provides key metrics like corneal hysteresis (CH) and corneal resistance factor (CRF).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate age-related variations in corneal biomechanical parameters (CH, CRF) and intraocular pressure (IOPg, IOPcc) in a normal population.
• To stratify these parameters across different age decades using the Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA).
• To explore correlations between ORA parameters and demographic factors like age and gender.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey of 997 eyes from 508 normal individuals was conducted.
• Participants were categorized into age groups by decade (10-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, >50 years).
• ORA measurements for CH, CRF, IOPg, and IOPcc were recorded and analyzed for age and gender correlations.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between increasing age and both CH and CRF.
• CH and CRF values showed a decline with advancing age across the studied decades.
• IOPcc remained relatively constant across age groups, while IOPg exhibited an initial decrease followed by a gradual increase.

Conclusions:

• Corneal biomechanical properties, specifically CH and CRF, demonstrably decrease with age in healthy individuals.
• Age has a minimal impact on IOPg and IOPcc, suggesting their relative stability across the lifespan.
• These findings highlight the importance of considering age in the interpretation of corneal biomechanical and IOP measurements.