Prevalence of glaucoma in Eastern India: The Hooghly River Glaucoma Study.
Date
2016-08
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Abstract
Context: Glaucoma is the leading cause of global irreversible blindness. No recent study with adequate
sample size has been carried out to estimate glaucoma prevalence in Eastern India. Aims: The aim of this
study was to assess and compare the prevalence and types of glaucoma in a rural and urban East Indian
population. Settings and Design: The Hooghly River Glaucoma Study (HRGS) is a population‑based
cross‑sectional study from West Bengal. A tertiary hospital in Kolkata was our urban study center. Our
rural study area included 28 contiguous villages from the district of Hooghly surrounding the rural base
hospital located at Dhobapara in village Bakulia. Individuals aged 40 years and above were included in
this study. Subjects and Methods: All subjects underwent a detailed ophthalmic examination at our base
hospitals including applanation tonometry, ultrasound pachymetry, gonioscopy, and frequency doubling
technology perimetry. Glaucoma was defined using modified International Society of Geographical
and Epidemiological Ophthalmology criteria. Statistical Analysis Used: Analysis was performed using
Chi‑square test and multiple logistic regression using SPSS. Results: Totally, 14,092 individuals participated;
2.7% were detected to have glaucoma in rural arm and 3.23% in urban arm (P < 0.001). In urban population,
2.10% had primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), 0.97% had primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), and
0.15% had secondary glaucoma. In rural population, 1.45% had POAG, 1.15% had ACG, and 0.10% had
secondary glaucoma. Conclusions: HRGS is the largest population‑based glaucoma study in India to date
with glaucoma prevalence comparable to other landmark Indian studies. POAG was the most common
form of glaucoma in our study population as well. PACG was more common in this region than previously
thought.
Description
Keywords
Frequency doubling perimetry, gonioscopy, intraocular pressure, primary angle closure glaucoma, primary open angle glaucoma
Citation
Paul Chandrima, Sengupta Subhrangshu, Choudhury Sumit, Banerjee Souvik, Sleath Betsy L. Prevalence of glaucoma in Eastern India: The Hooghly River Glaucoma Study. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology. 2016 Aug; 64(8): 578-583.