Lin Pei-Yu, Tsai Su-Ying, Cheng Ching-Yu, Liu Jorn-Hon, Chou Pesus, Hsu Wen-Ming
Department of Ophthalmology, National Yang Ming University and Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan.
Ophthalmology. 2003 Jun;110(6):1096-101. doi: 10.1016/S0161-6420(03)00262-8.
To describe the epidemiology of dry eye in an elderly Chinese population in Taipei, Taiwan.
A population-based cross-sectional study.
The Shihpai Eye Study was a population-based survey of eye diseases in the elderly (> or =65 years) in Shihpai, Taipei, Taiwan. Noninstitutionalized residents, as of July 1999, were identified by using the official household registration database. A total of 2045 subjects were selected, and 1361 (66.6%) people participated in the study. Among them, 822 (60.4%) were men.
Trained interviewers administered a standardized questionnaire pertaining to dry-eye symptoms. Objective examinations of dry eye included tear film breakup time, Schirmer test, fluorescein stain of the cornea, and anatomic assessment of the meibomian glands via slit-lamp biomicroscopy.
Frequency of dry-eye symptoms and positive dry-eye tests.
In this population, 33.7% (459/1361) were symptomatic, defined as reporting 1 or more dry-eye symptoms often or all of the time. Women were more likely to report frequent symptoms of dry eye (odds ratio, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-1.87). Among those who were symptomatic, 78.9% (362/459) had a low tear film breakup time (< or =10 seconds), 62.5% (287/459) had a low Schirmer test result (< or =5 mm), and 61.7% (283/459) had abnormal anatomic features of the meibomian glands. Furthermore, 85.4% (392/459) were symptomatic and had either a low Schirmer score or an abnormal meibomian gland assessment. Of those symptomatic, 49.9% (229/459) indicated that they had visited an eye doctor, 5.4% (25/459) responded that they had been diagnosed with dry eye, and 47.5% (218/459) reported current use of eyedrops.
This is the first report of population-based data of dry eye that includes symptoms and signs in elderly Asians. The prevalence of dry eye, although varied according to definition, is relatively higher in this study than that reported for whites. Further studies are needed to determine whether this is due to racial or environmental factors.
描述中国台湾地区台北市老年人群干眼的流行病学情况。
基于人群的横断面研究。
石牌眼科研究是一项针对中国台湾地区台北市石牌65岁及以上老年人眼病的人群调查。通过官方户籍数据库确定1999年7月时的非机构化居民。共选取2045名受试者，1361人（66.6%）参与了研究。其中，822人（60.4%）为男性。
由经过培训的访员发放一份关于干眼症状的标准化问卷。干眼的客观检查包括泪膜破裂时间、泪液分泌试验、角膜荧光素染色以及通过裂隙灯生物显微镜对睑板腺进行解剖学评估。
干眼症状的发生率及干眼检查阳性结果。
在该人群中，33.7%（459/1361）有症状表现，即经常或总是报告1种或更多干眼症状。女性更有可能报告频繁的干眼症状（比值比，1.49；95%置信区间为1.19 - 1.87）。在有症状的人群中，78.9%（362/459）泪膜破裂时间较短（≤10秒），62.5%（287/459）泪液分泌试验结果较低（≤5毫米），61.7%（283/459）睑板腺解剖特征异常。此外，85.4%（392/459）有症状且泪液分泌试验评分较低或睑板腺评估异常。在有症状的人群中，49.9%（229/459）表示他们看过眼科医生，5.4%（25/459）回答他们被诊断为干眼，47.5%（218/459）报告目前正在使用眼药水。
这是首份包含亚洲老年人干眼症状和体征的基于人群数据的报告。干眼的患病率虽因定义不同而有所差异，但在本研究中相对高于白人的报告患病率。需要进一步研究以确定这是由于种族因素还是环境因素所致。
