| Summary: | Iceland enjoys one of the highest life expectancies in the world and the population of middle-aged and elderly Icelanders is growing. Frequency of visual loss and retinopathy rises with increasing age and increases the need for assistance and rehabilitation. Cause-specific data may help identify preventable and treatable causes of visual loss and provide insight into which problems should be taken into consideration when planning future eye health care services. Aims: To describe the prevalence and 5-year incidence of visual loss among middle-aged and older Icelanders, to provide information on the major causes of visual loss, and to update data on the prevalence of retinopathy and risk factors associated with retinopathy in older persons with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: Papers I and II: A random sample of 1,045 persons aged 50 years or more participated in the population-based Reykjavik Eye Study. All participants underwent a detailed eye examination in 1996, and 846 of the survivors participated in a follow-up examination in 2001. Visual impairment was defined according to WHO definitions as a best-corrected visual acuity of <6/18 but no worse than 3/60, or a visual field of ≥5° and <10° around a fixation point in the better eye. Best-corrected visual acuity of <3/60 in the better eye was defined as blindness. We also used United States criteria, which define visual impairment as best-corrected visual acuity of <6/12 and >6/60 in the better eye and blindness as best-corrected visual acuity ≤6/60. Causes of visual loss were determined for all eyes. Deterioration or improvement in vision were defined as a loss or gain of 2 or more Snellen lines. Paper III: A study population of 4,994 persons aged 67 years or more participated in the Age/Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study (AGES-R). DM was defined as HbA1c ≥6.5% (≥48 mmol/mol), a self-reported history of DM, or use of diabetes medication. Retinopathy was assessed by grading fundus photographs using the modified Airlie ...
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