Prevalence, risk factors and association with glycemic levels of presbyopia in South Indian population

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of presbyopia and its association with elevated glycemic levels in subjects ≥40 years of age in the South Indian population of Chennai. METHODS: This was a retrospective study. Subjects were included from the Sankara Nethralaya Diabetic Retinopathy Epidemiology And Molecular genetics Study (SN-DREAMS 1). Demographic data, detailed medical and ocular history, comprehensive eye examination, and biochemical investigations were performed. Glycosylated hemoglobin results were categorized as controls (4%–5.6%), prediabetic (5.7%–6.4%), and diabetic (≥6.5%) groups. The given presbyopic correction was divided into two groups as within and outside donders limit. Prevalence rates and mean values were determined and compared among the three glycemic groups. The Student t test, the Chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of presbyopia from our previously conducted SN-DREAMS 1 population of 1414 patients was 79.77% (95% CI: 0.775–0.818). In total, 1128 participants were included for our current secondary analysis with a mean age of 54.40 years (range: 40–83). The number of subjects within and outside donders limit was 1044 (92.55%) and 84 (7.44%), respectively. In each age group (40–49, 50–59, ≥60) regardless of being within or outside donders limits, an increasing trend in the prevalence of presbyopia was noted based on increasing glycemic levels. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated a high prevalence of presbyopia in the South Indian population of Chennai. Findings show that the prevalence of presbyopia in different age groups increases with worsening diabetes status.