The influence of age and gender on ocular biometrics and corneal astigmatism in adults undergoing cataract surgery

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the influence of age and gender on ocular biometric values and corneal astigmatism features in individuals undergoing phacoemulsification surgery and intraocular lens implantation. Methodology: This retrospective study measured ocular biometrics and corneal keratometric astigmatism using the IOLMaster 700 instrument prior to phacoemulsification surgery and intraocular lens implantation. Results: Analysis included ocular biometric and keratometric values from 3385 eyes of 3385 patients. Lens thickness ( p < 0.001, r = 0.387), mean keratometry ( p < 0.001, r = 0.156), and corneal astigmatism ( p < 0.001, r = 0.082) were positively correlated with age. Conversely, axial length ( p < 0.001, r = −0.133), anterior chamber depth ( p < 0.001, r = −0.244), and horizontal white-to-white corneal diameter ( p < 0.001, r = −0.226) exhibited negative correlations with age. Increasing age led to a significant shift towards against-the-rule astigmatism ( p < 0.001, r = 0.248). Mean keratometry was significantly lower in males than females ( p < 0.001). Axial length, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, and white-to-white corneal diameter were higher in males compared to females (all ps ⩽ 0.001). Corneal astigmatism types differed significantly between genders ( p < 0.001), with against-the-rule being more prevalent among males (52.9%) and with-the-rule astigmatism having the highest prevalence among females (40.3%). Conclusions: Mean keratometry and lens thickness increased, while axial length and anterior chamber depth decreased with age. Males exhibited higher values for axial length, anterior chamber depth, and lens thickness, whereas females had steeper corneas.