Presbyopia and associated factors specific to age groups.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Gerontology

Background:

• Presbyopia, the age-related loss of accommodation, significantly impacts individuals over 40.
• Factors influencing presbyopia progression and severity across different age demographics remain incompletely understood.
• Previous research has not detailed age-specific ocular surface and retinal correlates of presbyopia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate age-specific risk factors for presbyopia.
• To analyze the association of ocular surface and retinal parameters with presbyopia severity across distinct age groups.
• To compare the predictive power of various factors for presbyopia in individuals aged 40-69.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 3000 healthy individuals aged 40-69.
• Participants were categorized into three age groups: 40s, 50s, and 60s.
• Near add power was measured, and regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors, including ocular parameters like GCC and RNFL thickness, and tear break-up time.

Main Results:

• Mean near add power increased with age: 1.21 D (40s), 2.16 D (50s), and 2.72 D (60s).
• In the 40s, age, astigmatism, intra-ocular pressure, mean deviation, GCC, and RNFL thickness were associated with near add power.
• In the 60s, age, tear break-up time, and RNFL thickness were significant predictors.

Conclusions:

• Presbyopia development and progression are influenced by distinct factors depending on the age group.
• Astigmatic errors, ganglion cell complex (GCC), and peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness are significant in younger presbyopic individuals (40s-50s).
• Tear break-up time and RNFL thickness emerge as key factors in older presbyopic individuals (60s), indicating a need for age-specific management approaches.