Four-year incidence and progression of visual impairment in Latinos: the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the 4-year incidence of visual impairment (VI) and blindness and worsening of visual acuity in adult Latinos and Hispanics aged 40 years and older.

Design: Population-based, longitudinal study.

Methods: Participants underwent a detailed ophthalmologic examination including assessing both presenting binocular visual acuity (PVA) and best-corrected distance visual acuity (BCVA) in both eyes using a standard Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy protocol. The main outcome measures are 4-year incidence of visual impairment and blindness based on PVA or BCVA in the better-seeing eye and defined as (1) baseline visual acuity (PVA or BCVA) of 20/40 or better and a follow-up PVA or BCVA of less than 20/40 but better than 20/200, and (2) baseline PVA better than 20/200 and a follow-up PVA of 20/200 or less, respectively. Monocular worsening was defined as a decrease of 5 or more, 10, and 15 letters in either eye.

Results: Four thousand six hundred fifty-eight participants were examined at baseline and the 4-year follow-up. The 4-year incidence of presenting binocular VI and blindness was 2.9% and 0.3%. The 4-year incidence of best-corrected VI and blindness was 1.2% and 0.3%. The 4-year incidence of monocular worsening by 5 or more, 10, and 15 letters was 24.8%, 8.5%, and 3.1%, respectively. The incidence of VI and blindness increased with age at baseline (P < .01). The incidence of VI in the second eye (12.2%) was significantly higher than the incidence of VI in the first eye (2.9%; P < .001).

Conclusions: Overall, the annual incidence of VI in Latinos and Hispanics was higher than that reported in non-Hispanic white persons and the highest reported in a population-based study in the United States. Screening and intervention programs to reduce visual impairment and blindness should focus on the older Latino population.