Personality and total health through life project eye substudy: Methodology and baseline retinal features

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the methodology and present the retinal grading findings of an older sample of Australians with well-defined indices of neurocognitive function in the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life project.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Methods: Three hundred twenty-six individuals from the PATH Through Life project were invited to participate. Participants completed a general questionnaire and 2-field, 45-degree nonmydriatic color digital retinal photography. Photographs were graded for retinal pathology according to established protocols.

Results: Two hundred fifty-four (77.9%) subjects, aged 72 to 78 years, agreed to participate in the eye substudy. Gradable images of at least 1 eye were acquired in 211 of 254 subjects (83.1%). Retinal photographic screening identified 1 or more signs of pathology in 130 of the 174 subjects (74.7%) with gradable images of both eyes. A total of 45 participants (17.7%) had self-reported diabetes and diabetic retinopathy was observed in 22 (48.9%) of these participants.

Conclusions: This well-defined sample of older Australians provides a unique opportunity to interrogate associations between retinal findings, including retinal vascular geometric parameters, and indices of neurocognitive function.