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Selected Publication:
Glatz, M.
EVALUATION OF CAUSES OF REGISTERED BLINDNESS FOCUSING ON CHILDREN AND WORKING-AGED ADULTS IN AUSTRIA
Doktoratsstudium der Medizinischen Wissenschaft; Humanmedizin; [ Dissertation ] Medizinische Universitaet Graz; 2024. pp. 116
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- Authors Med Uni Graz:
- Advisor:
- Riedl Regina
- Strauß Rupert
- Wedrich Andreas
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- Abstract:
- Purpose: To analyse epidemiological characteristics and causes of blindness and visual impairment in Austria to facilitate planning of further research and governmental planning of health care resources. Methods: In a retrospective investigation, the central database of care allowance of the Main Confederation of Austrian Social Insurances (MCASI) was searched for patients with visual impairment, blindness, or deaf-blindness. This database accumulates data from all Austrian insurance providers. All entries in 2017 and 2018 were analysed for epidemiological and other characteristics. Additionally, to determine the prevalence and incidence of blindness, visual impairment and deaf-blindness in Austria, the number of all database entries that were present on a cut-off date (February 2nd, 2019) was counted. Since care money is a considerable source of income in Austria, we assume a practically complete acquisition of nearly all patients who were blind and visually impaired in this country at that time. Results: On the cut-off date in 2019, 17,730 persons were registered in the central database. This number suggests a prevalence of blindness, visual impairment, or deaf-blindness of 0.2% in Austria. During 2017 and 2018, 5040 entries were included in the MCASI database. Of these, 4404 persons met the inclusion criteria. A total of 2877 persons (65.3%) were female, and 1527 persons (34.7%) were male. The overall incidence was calculated to be 25.0 (95% confidence limit (CL) 24.3–25.8) per 100,000 person-years. A total of 3675 persons (83.4%) were retirees, and 729 (16.6%) were younger than retirement age. The mean age was 75.7 years (± 18.0, median 82). Overall, the incidence was significantly higher for females (32.2, 95% CL 31.0–33.3) than for males (17.7, 95% CL 16.8–18.5). In contrast, in lower age groups (0-29 years), the incidences were higher for males. The leading diagnoses were macular degeneration (1075 patients, 24.4%), other retinal disorders (493 patients, 11.2%) and inherited retinal and choroidal diseases (186 patients, 4.2%). For working-aged adults, the leading diagnoses were inherited retinal diseases (85, 13.3%), disorders of the optic nerve and visual pathways (62, 9.7%) and other retinal disorders (51, 8.0%). Conclusion: Inherited retinal diseases are the most frequent causes of severe vision loss in working-aged adults in Austria. Thus, from this perspective, ongoing research for new therapies for those diseases should be expanded, and the costs for the new therapies should be accepted by insurance companies with a low threshold.