Background

UK estimates of age related macular degeneration (AMD) occurrence vary.

Aims

To estimate prevalence, number and incidence of AMD by type in the UK population aged ≥50 years.

Methods

Age-specific prevalence rates of AMD obtained from a Bayesian meta-analysis of AMD prevalence were applied to UK 2007–2009 population data. Incidence was estimated from modelled age-specific prevalence.

Results

Overall prevalence of late AMD was 2.4% (95% credible interval (CrI) 1.7% to 3.3%), equivalent to 513 000 cases (95% CrI 363 000 to 699 000); estimated to increase to 679 000 cases by 2020. Prevalences were 4.8% aged ≥65 years, 12.2% aged ≥80 years. Geographical atrophy (GA) prevalence rates were 1.3% (95% CrI 0.9% to 1.9%), 2.6% (95% CrI 1.8% to 3.7%) and 6.7% (95% CrI 4.6% to 9.6%); neovascular AMD (NVAMD) 1.2% (95% CrI 0.9% to 1.7%), 2.5% (95% CrI 1.8% to 3.4%) and 6.3% (95% CrI 4.5% to 8.6%), respectively. The estimated number of prevalent cases of late AMD were 60% higher in women versus men (314 000 cases in women, 192 000 men). Annual incidence of late AMD, GA and NVAMD per 1000 women was 4.1 (95% CrI 2.4% to 6.8%), 2.4 (95% CrI 1.5% to 3.9%) and 2.3 (95% CrI 1.4% to 4.0%); in men 2.6 (95% CrI 1.5% to 4.4%), 1.7 (95% CrI 1.0% to 2.8%) and 1.4 (95% CrI 0.8% to 2.4%), respectively. 71 000 new cases of late AMD were estimated per year.

Conclusions

These estimates will guide health and social service provision for those with late AMD and enable estimation of the cost of introducing new treatments.

Aims

To evaluate the World Health Organization Prevention of Blindness and Deafness 20‐item Visual Functioning Questionnaire (WHO/PBD VF20), a vision‐related quality of life scale, and to describe the relationship between cataract visual impairment and vision‐ and generic health‐related quality of life, in people ⩾50 years of age in Nakuru district, Kenya.

Methods

The WHO/PBD VF20 was pilot tested and modified. 196 patients with visual impairment from cataract and 128 population‐based controls without visual impairment from cataract were identified through a district‐wide survey. Additional cases were identified through case finding. Vision‐ and health‐related quality of life were assessed using the WHO/PBD VF20 scale and EuroQol generic health index (European Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ‐5D)), respectively. WHO/PBD VF20 was evaluated using standard psychometric tests, including factor analysis to determine item grouping for summary scores.

Results

The modified WHO/PBD VF20 demonstrated good psychometric properties. Two subscales (general functioning and psychosocial) and one overall eyesight‐rating item were appropriate for these data. Increased severity of visual impairment in cases was associated with worsening general functioning, psychosocial and overall eyesight scores (p for trend <0.001). Cases were more likely to report problems with EQ‐5D descriptive dimensions than controls (p<0.001), and, among cases, increased severity of visual impairment was associated with worsening self‐rated health score.

Conclusion

The modified WHO/PBD VF20 is a valid and reliable scale to assess vision‐related quality of life associated with cataract visual impairment in this Kenyan population. The association between health‐related quality of life and visual impairment reflects the wider implications of cataract for health and well‐being, beyond visual acuity alone.