The Prevalence of Refractive Errors Among Adults in the United States,Western Europe, and Australia

TLDR

The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of refractive errors among adults aged 40 years and older in the United States, Western Europe, and Australia. Using population‑based eye surveys, the authors counted phakic eyes with spherical equivalent refractive errors in specified ranges and applied age‑, gender‑, and race/ethnicity‑specific rates to the 2000 and projected 2020 populations of each region. In 2000, hyperopia of +3 D or greater was present in 9.9 % (US), 11.6 % (Western Europe), and 5.8 % (Australia), while myopia of −1 D or less affected 25.4 % (US), 26.6 % (Western Europe), and 16.4 % (Australia), with myopia of −5 D or less in 4.5–4.6 % (US/WE) and 2.8 % (Australia); projected 2020 rates were similar, indicating that roughly one‑third of adults 40 + in the US and Western Europe, and one‑fifth in Australia, have refractive errors.

Abstract

<h3>Objective</h3> To estimate the prevalence of refractive errors in persons 40 yearsand older. <h3>Methods</h3> Counts of persons with phakic eyes with and without spherical equivalentrefractive error in the worse eye of +3 diopters (D) or greater, −1D or less, and −5 D or less were obtained from population-based eyesurveys in strata of gender, race/ethnicity, and 5-year age intervals. Pooledage-, gender-, and race/ethnicity–specific rates for each refractiveerror were applied to the corresponding stratum-specific US, Western European,and Australian populations (years 2000 and projected 2020). <h3>Results</h3> Six studies provided data from 29 281 persons. In the US, WesternEuropean, and Australian year 2000 populations 40 years or older, the estimatedcrude prevalence for hyperopia of +3 D or greater was 9.9%, 11.6%, and 5.8%,respectively (11.8 million, 21.6 million, and 0.47 million persons). For myopiaof −1 D or less, the estimated crude prevalence was 25.4%, 26.6%, and16.4% (30.4 million, 49.6 million, and 1.3 million persons), respectively,of whom 4.5%, 4.6%, and 2.8% (5.3 million, 8.5 million, and 0.23 million persons),respectively, had myopia of −5 D or less. Projected prevalence ratesin 2020 were similar. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Refractive errors affect approximately one third of persons 40 yearsor older in the United States and Western Europe, and one fifth of Australiansin this age group.