PURPOSE:
To analyze the age-related changes in corneal spherical aberration (CSA) and higher order aberrations (HOAs) and to develop a novel model to estimate the change in CSA with age.
METHODS:
This was a cross-sectional study of the right eyes of 3,769 patients. Anterior corneal spherical aberration (ASA), posterior corneal spherical aberration (PSA), total corneal spherical aberration (TSA), and the root mean square of corneal HOAs were measured using a Scheimpflug tomographer. Smoothed fitting curves were plotted as a function of age and the average change in spherical aberration was calculated for different ages.
RESULTS:
The mean magnitude of ASA, PSA, TSA, and HOAs (6 and 4 mm) were 0.270 ± 0.111, −0.144 ± 0.031, 0.228 ± 0.120, 0.453 ± 0.194, and 0.141 ± 0.075
µ
m, respectively. All parameters showed a statistically significant non-linear change with age. The age after which the aberrations increased at a faster rate, namely the turning points of age, were 39 years for ASA, PSA, TSA, and 6-mm HOAs (95% confidence interval [CI]: 35 to 42, 36 to 41, 36 to 42, and 35 to 56 years, respectively) and 46 years for 4-mm HOAs (95% CI: 36 to 56 years). There were significant increases in increment rates after the turning points. The average change of TSA was −0.013
µ
m/10 years from 18 to 39 years and 0.057
µ
m/10 years after 39 years. There were statistically significant correlations between ASA and TSA (
r
= 0.976,
P
< .001) and PSA and TSA (
r
= 0.192,
P
< .001), but not between ASA and PSA (
r
= −0.003,
P
= .835).
CONCLUSIONS:
CSA and HOAs increased non-linearly with age and became more positive after 39 and 46 years of age, respectively. Based on the increment rates and turning points of age, a novel model is provided to help calculate the value required to compensate for the increasing CSA associated with the aging cornea.
[
J Refract Surg
. 2018;34(11):760–767.]
