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Vitreoretinal Interface Abnormalities in Middle-Aged Adults with Visual Impairment in the UK Biobank Study: Prevalence, Impact on Visual Acuity and Associations

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Vitreoretinal Interface Abnormalities in Middle-Aged Adults with Visual Impairment in the UK Biobank Study: Prevalence, Impact on Visual Acuity and Associations Downloaded from http://bmjophth.bmj.com/ on October 5, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com Vitreoretinal interface abnormalities in middle-aged adults with visual impairment in the UK Biobank study: prevalence, impact on visual acuity and associations Martin McKibbin,1 Tracey Farragher,2 Darren Shickle2 UK Biobank Eye and Vision Consortium To cite: McKibbin M, ABSTRACT Key messages Farragher T, Shickle D. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the Vitreoretinal interface prevalence of vitreoretinal interface abnormalities abnormalities in middle-aged What is already known? (VRIA), the degree of visual impairment and " Several population-based studies have reported adults with visual impairment – in the UK Biobank study: associations with VRIA among adults, aged 40 69 the prevalence of posterior vitreous detachment prevalence, impact on visual years, in the UK Biobank study. and vitreoretinal interface abnormalities (VRIA) acuity and associations. BMJ Methods and analysis Colour fundus photographs and the association of VRIA with visual Open Ophth 2017;1: and spectral domain optical coherence tomography impairment. e000057. doi:10.1136/ images were graded for 25% of the 8359 UK Biobank bmjophth-2016-000057 participants with mild visual impairment or worse What are the main findings? (LogMAR >0.3 or Snellen <6/12) in at least one eye. " In this study with UK Biobank participants, Received 20 November 2016 The prevalence and contribution of VRIA to visual VRIA were common abnormalities, both in eyes Revised 03 April 2017 with and without visual impairment, and were Accepted 11 April 2017 impairment was determined and multinomial logistic regression models were used to investigate association identified at least four times more often with with known risk factors and other predetermined spectral domain optical coherence tomography socioeconomic, biometric, lifestyle and medical (OCT) imaging than with colour fundus variables for cases and matched controls. photography. Visual impairment due to VRIA Results The minimum prevalence of any VRIA was was typically mild or moderate and the most 17.6% and 8.1% in the eyes with and without visual common VRIA were epiretinal membrane and impairment, respectively. VRIA were identified as the vitreomacular traction. Visual impairment in primary cause of visual impairment in 3.6% of eyes. one or both eyes and a VRIA was positively Although epiretinal membrane and vitreomacular associated with increasing age, female gender traction were the most common VRIA, the degree of and Asian or Asian British ethnicity. visual impairment was typically milder with these than How might these results change the focus of with other VRIA. Visual impairment with a VRIA was research or clinical practice? positively associated with increasing age (relative risk " VRIA are common abnormalities, even when ratio (RRR) 1.22 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.40)), female the prevalence of other retinal pathology is low. gender (RRR 1.28; 1.08 to 1.52) and Asian or Asian The size of the UK Biobank project may provide British ethnicity (RRR 1.60; 1.10 to 2.32). additional opportunities to identify novel Conclusions VRIA are common in middle-aged associations with VRIA. Spectral domain OCT adults in the UK Biobank study, especially in eyes with imaging should be used in any future visual impairment. VRIA were considered to be the epidemiological studies documenting the primary cause of visual impairment in 3.6% of all eyes prevalence of VRIA. 1 with visual impairment, although there was variation in Department of the degree of visual impairment for each type of VRIA. Ophthalmology, Eye Clinic, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK interface abnormalities (VRIA). Much of the 2Academic Unit of Public INTRODUCTION existing epidemiological data are derived Health, University of Leeds, from slit-lamp examination, either alone or Leeds, UK Despite the widespread use of spectral domain optical coherence tomography in combination with grading of colour fundus photographs, but several VRIA are Correspondence to (OCT) in routine clinical practice, there is Mr Martin McKibbin; martin. limited data on the prevalence and visual not readily identifiable using these [email protected] consequences of different vitreoretinal techniques. McKibbin M, et al. BMJ Open Ophth 2017;1:e000057. doi:10.1136/bmjophth-2016-000057 1 Downloaded from http://bmjophth.bmj.com/ on October 5, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com Open Access Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the cases and controls Controls without visual Cases with visual impairment but Cases with visual Baseline characteristic impairment (n=7704) without VRIA (n=1671) impairment and VRIA (n=419) Age, median (IQR) 61 (54–65) 61 (54–65) 61 (55–66) Sex Female, n (%) 4288 (55.7) 956 (57.2) 206 (49.2) Male, n (%) 3416 (44.3) 715 (42.8) 213 (50.8) Ethnicity White, n (%) 6881 (89.9) 1503 (90.5) 364 (87.5) Asian or Asian British, n 257 (3.4) 49 (3.0) 22 (5.3) (%) Black or Black British, n 374 (4.9) 73 (4.4) 22 (5.3) (%) Other ethnic group, n 142 (1.9) 36 (2.2) 8 (1.9) (%) Townsend deprivation index quintiles First—least deprived 1304 (16.9) 227 (13.6) 63 (15.1) Second 1474 (19.2) 280 (16.8) 70 (16.7) Third 1501 (19.5) 335 (20.1) 87 (20.8) Fourth 1763 (22.9) 377 (22.6) 103 (24.6) Fifth—most deprived 1653 (21.5) 448 (26.9) 95 (22.7) Blood pressure 82 (75–89) 82 (75–89) 82 (75–88) diastolic, median (IQR) Blood pressure systolic, 141 (128–154) 140 (127–154) 142 (129–155) median (IQR) Body mass index category Normal/Underweight, n 2366 (31.8) 521 (32.3) 132 (32.1) (%) Overweight, n (%) 3251 (43.7) 678 (42.0) 171 (41.6) Obese, n (%) 1816 (24.4) 416 (25.8) 108 (26.3) Whole body 595 (534–664) 598 (539–667) 583 (527–652) impedance, median (IQR) Waist:hip ratio, median 0.88 (0.81–0.94) 0.88 (0.81–0.94) 0.89 (0.82–0.95) (IQR) Pulse wave arterial 9.34 (7.26–11.37) 9.28 (7.2–11.24) 9.82 (7.46–11.54) stiffness index, median (IQR) Current smoking status No, n (%) 6989 (91.0) 1485 (88.9) 374 (89.3) Yes, n (%) 485 (6.3) 143 (8.6) 32 (7.6) Occasionally, n (%) 203 (2.6) 42 (2.5) 13 (3.1) Continued 2 McKibbin M, et al. BMJ Open Ophth 2017;1:e000057. doi:10.1136/bmjophth-2016-000057 Downloaded from http://bmjophth.bmj.com/ on October 5, 2017 - Published by group.bmj.com Open Access Table 1 Continued Controls without visual Cases with visual impairment but Cases with visual Baseline characteristic impairment (n=7704) without VRIA (n=1671) impairment and VRIA (n=419) Medications Systemic hypertension, 1804 (23.6) 405 (24.5) 107 (25.8) n (%) Hypercholesterolaemia, 1597 (20.9) 367 (22.2) 107 (25.8) n (%) Medical history Cancer, n (%) 806 (10.5) 173 (10.4) 42 (10.0) Diabetes mellitus, n (%) 458 (7.7) 114 (8.6) 42 (11.8) Cardiovascular and/or 2431 (40.8) 544 (40.9) 151 (42.4) cerebrovascular disease, n (%) Depression: n (%) 392 (6.6) 79 (5.9) 19 (5.3) VRIA, vitreoretinal interface abnormalities. The UK Biobank study aims to investigate the influ- cohort, colour fundus photographs and spectral ence of lifestyle, environment and genes on the health domain OCT images were also captured in 65 033 of adults, aged 40–69 years, in the UK.1 The study participants. For these participants with fundus and recruited more than 500 000 UK residents and OCT images, 8359 were identified as having mild provides a unique opportunity to collect accurate data visual impairment or worse (LogMAR >0.3 or on the frequency and causes of visual impairment Snellen <6/12) in at least one eye. In this pilot among participants. We have already identified that study, the ability to identify both the primary cause VRIA were the fourth most common cause of identifi- of and associations with visual impairment, using able visual impairment among UK Biobank self-reported eye history and image grading, was participants.2 In this paper, we report the prevalence investigated in a subset of 25% of those with visual and visual consequences of different types of VRIA, impairment and fundus imaging. Cases were selected both in eyes with and without visual impairment and to be representative of all participants with visual investigate associations with VRIA within the UK impairment in terms of visual acuity, age (5-year Biobank cohort. bands), sex and ethnicity (Asian, Black, Mixed, White or other background). Controls did not have visual impairment but were matched for the cases by age, METHODS sex and ethnicity at a ratio of approximately 4:1. Study design and population The UK Biobank project received approval from the All UK Biobank participants completed a baseline North-West Multicentre Research Ethics Committee. assessment that comprised a questionnaire, with health Approval was also obtained for access to anonymised and disease questions, followed by recording of physical UK Biobank data by researchers, without the need for measurements and collection of biological samples. Eye additional approvals. health questions and physical measures were added several years after the start of the study and included visual acuity with habitual correction using a computer- Image grading and definitions ised, semiautomated system using LogMAR optotypes, Images were analysed using the Topcon OCT viewer refractive error, intraocular pressure and corneal software (V.4.21, Topcon, Tokyo, Japan) and graded biomechanics. Digital fundus photography and spectral by clinicians or experienced, non-medical graders. domain OCT images were taken on both eyes using the Analysis involved all of the eyes with visual Topcon 3D-OCT 1000 Mark 2.
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