Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by age-related macular degeneration: a meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020

Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study, the GBD 2019 Blindness and Vision Impairment Collaborators

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Abstract

Background: 

We aimed to update estimates of global vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). 

Methods: 

We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based surveys of eye diseases from January, 1980, to October, 2018. We fitted hierarchical models to estimate the prevalence of moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI; presenting visual acuity from <6/18 to 3/60) and blindness (< 3/60) caused by AMD, stratified by age, region, and year.

Results: 

In 2020, 1.85 million (95%UI: 1.35 to 2.43 million) people were estimated to be blind due to AMD, and another 6.23 million (95%UI: 5.04 to 7.58) with MSVI globally. High-income countries had the highest number of individuals with AMD-related blindness (0.60 million people; 0.46 to 0.77). The crude prevalence of AMD-related blindness in 2020 (among those aged ≥ 50 years) was 0.10% (0.07 to 0.12) globally, and the region with the highest prevalence of AMD-related blindness was North Africa/Middle East (0.22%; 0.16 to 0.30). Age-standardized prevalence (using the GBD 2019 data) of AMD-related MSVI in people aged ≥ 50 years in 2020 was 0.34% (0.27 to 0.41) globally, and the region with the highest prevalence of AMD-related MSVI was also North Africa/Middle East (0.55%; 0.44 to 0.68). From 2000 to 2020, the estimated crude prevalence of AMD-related blindness decreased globally by 19.29%, while the prevalence of MSVI increased by 10.08%. 

Conclusions:

The estimated increase in the number of individuals with AMD-related blindness and MSVI globally urges the creation of novel treatment modalities and the expansion of rehabilitation services.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2070-2082
Number of pages13
JournalEye (Basingstoke)
Volume38
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

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