The Prevalence and Types of Glaucoma in Malay People: The Singapore Malay Eye Study
Sunny Y Shen 1,
Tien Yin Wong 2,
Paul J. Foster 3,
Jing-Liang Loo 1,
Mohamad Rosman 1,
Seng-Chee Loon 1,
Wan-Ling Wong 4,
Seang-Mei Saw 5,
and
Tin Aung 6*
1 Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
2 Department of Ophthalmology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
3 Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
4 Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
5 Community, Occup. & Family Med., National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
6 Singapore National Eye Centre, 11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore, 168751, Singapore
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: tin11{at}pacific.net.sg.
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Abstract |
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Purpose: To assess the prevalence and types of glaucoma in an Asian Malay population.
Methods: The Singapore Malay Eye Study is a population-based cross-sectional survey that examined 3,280 (78.7% response) persons aged 40-80 years. Participants underwent a standardized clinical examination including slit-lamp biomicroscopy, Goldmann applanation tonometry and dilated optic disc assessment. Participants who were suspected to have glaucoma also underwent visual field examination (24-2 SITA standard, Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer II), gonioscopy and repeat applanation tonometry. Glaucoma was defined according to International Society for Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology criteria.
Results: Of the 3,280 participants, 150 (4.6%) were diagnosed to have glaucoma, giving an age- and gender-standardized prevalence of 3.4% (95%confidence interval [CI], 3.3-3.5%). The age- and gender-standardized prevalence of primary open-angle glaucoma was 2.5% (95%CI 2.4-2.6%), primary angle closure glaucoma 0.12% (95%CI 0.10-0.14%) and secondary glaucoma 0.61% (95%CI 0.59-0.63%). Of the 150 glaucoma cases, only 12 (8%) had a previous known history of glaucoma. Twenty-seven eyes (18%) had low vision (based on best corrected visual acuity LogMAR >0.30 to <1.00 in the eye with glaucoma for unilateral cases; and based on the better eye for bilateral cases) and 15 (10%) were blind (LogMAR 
1.00).
Conclusions: The prevalence of glaucoma among Malay persons 40 years and older in Singapore is 3.4%, comparable to ethnic Chinese people in Singapore and other racial/ethnic groups in Asia. As in white Caucasian populations, primary open-angle glaucoma was the main form of glaucoma in this population. More than 90% of glaucoma cases were previously undetected.
Key Words:
glaucoma, epidemiology, intraocular pressure, low-tension glaucoma
