Prevalence and associations of epiretinal membranes in an adult Japanese population: the Funagata study

Abstract

Purpose To determine the prevalence and risk factors of epiretinal membranes (ERM) in a Japanese population. Patients and Methods The Funagata Study examined 1758 Japanese aged 35 years or older (42% of eligible) from June 2000 to June 2002. A total of 1723 (98.0%) participants had nonmydriatic fundus photographs of the right eye to grade the presence of ERM, using the Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) protocol. After age standardization, the prevalence of ERM in the right eyes of the participants included in this study was compared with that reported from right eyes of participants in the BMES and the Beaver Dam Eye Study (BDES). ERM detected in eyes with diabetic retinopathy and other retinal lesions were excluded from the analysis of associations. Multiple logistic regression models were used to determine risk factors for the presence of ERM, adjusting for age and gender. Results There were 84 right eyes with ERM, representing 5.44% of this sample. After age standardization, the prevalence rate (5.7%) was within the range reported in the BMES (3.5%) and the BDES (6.9%). Older age (genderadjusted odds ratio (OR) per 10 years: 1.72, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.40-2.11) and diabetes (age-gender-adjusted OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.01-3.37) were the only two factors associated with ERM. Conclusions We found a similar prevalence of ERM in the Japanese as in mainly white populations. Increasing age and diabetes were risk factors for ERM in this adult Japanese population.

Behçet Uveitis in the American Midwest

“…Interestingly, ERM is described at a higher prevalence in Chinese individuals in the United States when compared to Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic populations 29 as well as in Asian Malays in Australia relative to the Caucasian population. 30 Other studies showed a similar prevalence rate of ERM in Japanese patients 31 and a higher rate in an American Latino population 32 when compared to rates in White patients. 33 It would be intriguing to conduct new studies on the rate of ERM formation specifically in patients with uveitis among different races and ethnicities.…”

The incidence and risk factors for the development of vitreomacular interface abnormality in diabetic macular edema treated with intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF

“…Older age has been identified as the most consistent risk factor associated with the formation of idiopathic ERM in many large population-based studies. 6,10,[29][30][31] A previous study from our group also revealed that older age was associated with development of VMIA in a group of less severe DME without IVI treatment. 18 However, we observed no correlation between age and VMIA (most were of the ERM configuration) formation in DME patients with IVI treatment in this study.…”

“…These factors were also less consistently found to be associated with the formation of VMIA in previous reports. 6,10,[29][30][31][32][33] Development of VMIA in DME treated with anti-VEGF C-K Chang et al 767…”

Pattern of Macular Disorders in Himachal Pradesh, India

“…[22] There were 84 right eyes with ERM, representing 5.44% of this sample. [23] ERMs were present in 3.4% of participants, bilateral in 20.3% of the cases. ERM prevalence was similar in women and men (3.6% vs. 3.1%), strongly associated with increasing age.…”