Trends in the pattern of blindness and major ocular diseases in Singapore and Asia.

This article details the changing trends in the major causes of blindness and visual impairment in Singapore over the past four decades. A comprehensive review of existing data from published and unpublished sources on ocular disease studies and surveys in Singapore was conducted. The rates of blindness and visual impairment from cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and refractive errors, as well as other major diseases are described and compared with other Asian countries. Such epidemiological data on the blinding conditions in our population are vital in the understanding of trends in ocular diseases, as well as in prioritizing current health services and preventive programmes.

[1]  T. Dawber,et al.  The Framingham Eye Study monograph: An ophthalmological and epidemiological study of cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and visual acuity in a general population of 2631 adults, 1973-1975. , 1980, Survey of ophthalmology.

[2]  J C Javitt,et al.  Blindness due to cataract: epidemiology and prevention. , 1996, Annual review of public health.

[3]  T. Wong,et al.  Changing indications for penetrating keratoplasty: a newly developed country's experience. , 1997, Australian and New Zealand journal of ophthalmology.

[4]  U. Rajan,et al.  Myopia in ten year old children--a case control study. , 1987, Singapore medical journal.

[5]  Karen W. Miller,et al.  Incidence and Early Course of Retlnonathy of Prematurity , 1991 .

[6]  Khoo Cy.  Corneal blindness in Singapore and its prevention. , 1989 .

[7]  P. Cheong,et al.  Incidence of retinopathy of prematurity in Singapore. , 1997, Singapore medical journal.

[8]  Joanne Katz,et al.  Blindness and Visual Impairment in an American Urban Population-Reply , 1990 .

[9]  T. Wong,et al.  Clinical and microbial spectrum of fungal keratitis in Singapore: a 5-year retrospective study , 2004, International Ophthalmology.

[10]  P. Mitchell,et al.  Visual acuity and the causes of visual loss in Australia. The Blue Mountains Eye Study. , 1996, Ophthalmology.

[11]  A D Négrel,et al.  Available data on blindness (update 1994) , 1995, Ophthalmic epidemiology.

[12]  D. Snydacker,et al.  Blindness and visual impairment in an American urban population. , 1990, Archives of ophthalmology.

[13]  R D Sperduto,et al.  Prevalence of myopia in the United States. , 1983, Archives of ophthalmology.

[14]  K. Hughes,et al.  Diabetes mellitus and its chronic complications in Singapore: an increasing healthcare problem. , 1990, Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.

[15]  P. Foster,et al.  Incidence of acute primary angle-closure glaucoma in Singapore. An island-wide survey. , 1997, Archives of ophthalmology.

[16]  S. Zhang,et al.  National epidemiological survey of blindness and low vision in China. , 1992, Chinese medical journal.

[17]  Chien-Jen Chen,et al.  Nation‐wide survey of myopia among schoolchildren in Taiwan, 1986 , 1988, Acta ophthalmologica. Supplement.

[18]  J Katz,et al.  Blindness and visual impairment in an American urban population. The Baltimore Eye Survey. , 1990, Archives of ophthalmology.

[19]  H C Lau,et al.  Mass screening for diabetic retinopathy--a report on diabetic retinal screening in primary care clinics in Singapore. , 1995, Singapore medical journal.

[20]  D. Tan,et al.  Corneal ulcers in two institutions in Singapore: analysis of causative factors, organisms and antibiotic resistance. , 1995, Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.

[21]  C. Khoo.  Corneal blindness in Singapore and its prevention. , 1989, Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.

[22]  Joanne Katz,et al.  Epidemiology of myopia. , 2002, Epidemiologic Reviews.

[23]  B. Darlow.  Incidence of retinopathy of prematurity in New Zealand. , 1988, Archives of disease in childhood.

[24]  R. Glynn,et al.  Functional blindness and visual impairment in older adults from three communities. , 1992, Ophthalmology.

[25]  B. C. Ang,et al.  Eye diseases in the elderly in Singapore. , 1987, Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.

[26]  A. Lim.  PRIMARY ANGLE CLOSURE GLAUCOMA IN SINGAPORE , 1979 .

[27]  S. Chew,et al.  Refractive errors in Singapore medical students. , 1990, Singapore medical journal.

[28]  D. Tan,et al.  Singapore General Hospital's experience in corneal grafting. , 1991, Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.

[29]  A. Thai,et al.  Epidemiology of diabetes mellitus in Singapore: comparison with other ASEAN countries. , 1985, Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.