Causes of disability, low vision and blindness in old age

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the causes of disability, blindness and low vision according to ages in patients who applied to our hospital between January 2011 and December 2012 and had at least 40% disability. Materials and Method: The files of the patients who had at least 40 % disability were analyzed retrospectively and divided into two groups according to age: less than 65 years (Group 1) and ≥65 years (Group 2). The data was evaluated and compared by using SPSS v.15 software. Results: Two-thousand-eight-hundred and six patients with 40% or more disability were included in to this study. The most three frequent causes of disability according to medical specialty were belonged to psychiatry (16.5%), physical medicine and rehabilitation (15.9%) and ophthalmology (9.7%) in Group 1, and neurology (23.0%), ophthalmology (20.5%) and cardiology (14.4%) in Group 2. The frequencies of amblyopia, degenerative myopia, and hereditary retinal dystrophy in Group 1, and cataract, AMD and glaucoma in Group 2 were higher, respectively. Conclusion: This study, which determines the frequency and epidemiology of disability, low vision and blindness in elderly patients in the region of Eastern Anatolia, especially in the neighborhood of the city of Erzurum, might give suggestions for possible preventions.