The Framingham eye study: introduction to the monograph.

This article briefly summarizes the monography, The Framingham Eye Study Monograph: an Ophthalmological and Epidemiological Study of Cataract, Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Degeneration, and Visual Acuity in a General Population of 2631 Adults, 1973-1975. This 275-page monograph, authored by H. Liebowitz, D. Krueger, C. Maunder et al, has recently been published by Survey of Ophthalmology (Surv Ophthalmol 24 (suppl):335-610, 1980). The purpose of the study, undertaken by the National Eye Institute, was to provide a description of the prevalence and severity of four diseases that are believed to be the major causes of severe visual handicap among adults in the United States. The monography presents the detailed protocols and record forms, definitions of the specific abnormalities and characteristics, criteria for suspicion and diagnosis of disease, detailed tables of the basic data, evaluation of quality of the data, and discussion of selected findings.