Visual acuity of people over 55 years old in habitual corrective conditions: drivers versus non-drivers.

Abstract

PURPOSE: Our aim is to investigate the habitual VA in a non-clinical population aged 55 years and over without evident pathology in order to stimate needs for best correction, comparing drivers and non-drivers conditions. METHODS: The 2449 subjects participating in the study were from amongst people in different shopping malls located i 21 provinces in Spain. All of them (age range 55-89 years, both genders) were free of any ocular disease or pathology. Their monocular distance VA was determined under photopic and mesopic conditions. RESULTS: About 35% of the people participatin in this study, using their habitual corrective lenses had a lower VA than others in their age range. The habitual photopic VA of the sample was 0.63 +- 0.25 and 0.26 +-0.10 undermesopic conditions. Photopic VA for drivers was 0.67+- 0.25 and 0.62 +- 0.26 for non driver Mesopic VA for drivers was 0.26 +- 0.11 and 0.25 +- 0.11 for non- drivers. CONCLUSION: Drivers habitual VA is abotu 1% better than non-drivers in all age ranges. This difference being statistically significant in both photopic and mesopic conditions. Specifically the mesopic VA for drivers prevent this collective from driving in legal and safety conditions that is a severe impairement compared to photopic VA (about 60% lower). Usually, examiners in driving medical centers are not required to evaluate on mesopic conditions, something that Health Authorities should e aware to improve. In addition, most of the people here evaluated undergoes a visual impairement that could be aluded by corrective lenses, in dorde to prolon the period of independent livint and maintain quality of life.