TY - JOUR
T1 - Number of People Blind or Visually Impaired by Cataract Worldwide and in World Regions, 1990 to 2010
AU - Khairallah, Moncef
AU - Kahloun, Rim
AU - Bourne, Rupert
AU - Limburg, Hans
AU - Flaxman, Seth
AU - Jonas, Jost
AU - Keeffe, Jill
AU - Leasher, Janet
AU - Naidoo, Kovin
AU - Pesudovs, Konrad
AU - Price, Holly
AU - White, Richard
AU - Wong, Tien
AU - Resnikoff, Serge
AU - Taylor, Hugh
PY - 2015/10
Y1 - 2015/10
N2 - PURPOSE. To estimate prevalence and number of people visually impaired or blind due to cataract. METHODS. Based on the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2010 and ongoing literature research, we examined how many people were affected by moderate to severe vision impairment (MSVI; presenting visual acuity <6/18, ≥3/60) and blindness (presenting visual acuity <3/60) due to cataract. RESULTS. In 2010, of overall 32.4 million blind and 191 million vision impaired, 10.8 million people were blind and 35.1 million were visually impaired due to cataract. Cataract caused worldwide 33.4% of all blindness in 2010, and 18.4% of all MSVI. These figures were lower in the high-income regions (<15%) and higher (>40%) in South and Southeast Asia and Oceania. From 1990 to 2010, the number of blind or visually impaired due to cataract decreased by 11.4% and by 20.2%, respectively; the age-standardized global prevalence of cataract-related blindness and MSVI reduced by 46% and 50%, respectively, and the worldwide crude prevalence of cataract-related blindness and MSVI reduced by 32% and 39%, respectively. The percentage of global blindness and MSVI caused by cataract decreased from 38.6% to 33.4%, and from 25.6% to 18.4%, respectively. This decrease took place in almost all world regions, except East Sub-Saharan Africa. CONCLUSIONS. In 2010, one in three blind people was blind due to cataract, and one of six visually impaired people was visually impaired due to cataract. Despite major improvements in terms of reduction of prevalence, cataract remains a major public health problem.
AB - PURPOSE. To estimate prevalence and number of people visually impaired or blind due to cataract. METHODS. Based on the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2010 and ongoing literature research, we examined how many people were affected by moderate to severe vision impairment (MSVI; presenting visual acuity <6/18, ≥3/60) and blindness (presenting visual acuity <3/60) due to cataract. RESULTS. In 2010, of overall 32.4 million blind and 191 million vision impaired, 10.8 million people were blind and 35.1 million were visually impaired due to cataract. Cataract caused worldwide 33.4% of all blindness in 2010, and 18.4% of all MSVI. These figures were lower in the high-income regions (<15%) and higher (>40%) in South and Southeast Asia and Oceania. From 1990 to 2010, the number of blind or visually impaired due to cataract decreased by 11.4% and by 20.2%, respectively; the age-standardized global prevalence of cataract-related blindness and MSVI reduced by 46% and 50%, respectively, and the worldwide crude prevalence of cataract-related blindness and MSVI reduced by 32% and 39%, respectively. The percentage of global blindness and MSVI caused by cataract decreased from 38.6% to 33.4%, and from 25.6% to 18.4%, respectively. This decrease took place in almost all world regions, except East Sub-Saharan Africa. CONCLUSIONS. In 2010, one in three blind people was blind due to cataract, and one of six visually impaired people was visually impaired due to cataract. Despite major improvements in terms of reduction of prevalence, cataract remains a major public health problem.
KW - Blindness
KW - Cataract
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Visual impairment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84944754779&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1167/iovs.15-17201
DO - 10.1167/iovs.15-17201
M3 - Article
SN - 1552-5783
VL - 56
SP - 6762
EP - 6769
JO - Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
JF - Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
IS - 11
ER -