Age-related changes of ocular parameters in Korean subjects

Dae Woong Lee¹, Joon Mo Kim¹, Chul Young Choi¹, Donghun Shin², Ki Ho Park³, Jung Gon Cho<sup>4

1</sup>Department of Ophthalmology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul, Korea; ²School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; ³Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; ⁴Yebon Eye Clinic, Seoul, Korea

Aims: To evaluate the age-related variations of ocular parameters in Korean subjects.

Methods: We recruited 314 normal subjects who visited the department of ­Ophthalmology between January 2007 and October 2007. Refraction, axial length, corneal curvature, white-to-white distance, anterior chamber depth, corneal endothelial cell density, and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness were measured using auto-refractive keratometer, intraocular lens master, noncontact specular microscope, and optical coherence tomography.

Result: In correlation analysis, from 19 to 82 years, hyperopic shift showed a strong positive statistical correlation with age (r = 0.553, P < 0.001). Corneal curvatures increased (r = 0.221, P < 0.001), while axial length (r = -0.506, P < 0.001), anterior chamber depth (r = -0.491, P < 0.001) and white-to-white distance (r = -0.205, P < 0.001) decreased with age. Also, ­corneal endothelial cell density was lower in older patients than in younger patients (r = -0.409, P < 0.001). Compared to younger patients, RNFL thickness was lower in the older patients as well, in all quadrants (superior, r = -0.283, P < 0.001; inferior, r = -0.230, P < 0.001; nasal, r = 0.025, P = 0.676; and temporal, r = -0.393, P < 0.001). According to multiple regression analysis, out of the six parameters measured, only hyperopic shift, anterior chamber depth and corneal endothelial cell density (P < 0.05) had statistically significant ­correlation with age.

Conclusion: Some of the ocular parameters changed with aging. Hyperopic shift, shallowing anterior chamber depth, and reduction of corneal endothelial cell density were only definitely related to age.

Keywords: corneal endothelial cell density, hyperopic, corneal curvatures, axial length, anterior chamber depth