Open Access Research Article

Onset of Presbyopia in a Black Population in Niger-Delta, Nigeria

H Nwachukwu1, AA Onua2* and AO Adio2

1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Port Harcourt Hospital, Nigeria

2Department of Ophthalmology, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Corresponding Author

Received Date: August 13, 2019;  Published Date: August 23, 2019

Abstract

Background: Presbyopia poses a great challenge in the ocular status among individuals that are heavily dependent on near work for their economic and social activities. The amplitude of accommodation of the human crystalline lens steadily decreases with increasing age and at 35 years of age, the reduction in amplitude causes the near point to move beyond the comfortable reading distance. Studies have shown that the onset of presbyopia varies around the world and among individuals.

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the time of onset of presbyopia among black population in Port Harcourt, Niger-Delta region of Nigeria.

Methods: This was a hospital-based retrospective study. The case notes of 429 cases diagnosed presbyopia presenting in DDS Eye Centre and Surgery, Port Harcourt between 2006 and 2012 were reviewed. The patients’ ages, sexes, occupation, relevant past medical, drugs and ocular history especially when the patients first noticed difficulty in reading tiny prints, recession of near point and the need for brighter illumination or reading as well as family ocular history were retrieved. Data were analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.

Results: The onset of presbyopia was at the age of 30-34 years in 8.6% of subjects while 31.2 % of subjects developed presbyopia within the ages of 35 to 39 years. Most of the subjects (39.3%) developed presbyopia within the ages of 40 and 44 years.

Conclusion: The onset of presbyopia in the Niger-Delta region could be as early as 30 years. Planners and executioners of Eye Care Programs should take advantage of this finding to reach out to increasing population of presbyopes in our locality.

Keywords: Black population; Niger-delta; Onset; Presbyopia

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