Alteration of retinal layers in healthy subjects over 60 years of age until nonagenarians

• Published in: Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) Vol. 11; pp. 1499 - 1503
• Main Authors: Altay, Lebriz, Jahn, Cheryl, Arikan Yorgun, Mücella, Caramoy, Albert, Schick, Tina, Hoyng, Carel B, den Hollander, Anneke I, Fauser, Sascha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01-01-2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Age; Aging; Care and treatment; Clinical trials; Diabetes; Diabetic retinopathy; Diagnosis; Gender; Glaucoma; healthy; Macular degeneration; Males; Medical imaging; Nonagenarians; Ophthalmology; Optics; Original Research; photoreceptor; Photoreceptors; Retina; Retinal diseases; retinal thickness; Risk factors; SDOCT; Software; Studies; very elderly; Germany; retinal thickness; nonagenarians; very elderly; healthy; SDOCT; photoreceptor
• ISSN: 1177-5467; 1177-5483; 1177-5483
• DOI: 10.2147/OPTH.S137223

To assess alterations of retinal layers in healthy subjects over 60 years old.
Retinal layers of 160 healthy subjects (aged 60-100 years) without any retinal pathology were imaged using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Mean thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell/inner plexiform layer (GCLIPL), inner nuclear layer, outer plexiform layer/outer nuclear layer, photoreceptor complex (PR) and retinal thickness (RT) were measured in a 3.45 mm grid. Correlations between age and layers were estimated and linear regression equations were calculated. Different age-groups (60-69, 70-79, 80-89 years and nonagenarians, each group with 40 participants) were compared.
Significant age-thickness correlations were observed for GCLIPL (
<0.001,
=-0.394), PR (
<0.001,
=-0.370) and RT (
<0.001,
=-0.290). A comparison between age groups 60-69 years and nonagenarians showed no significant thickness alteration of retinal nerve fiber layer (21.80±2.18 μm vs 22.82±2.97 μm,
=0.163), inner nuclear layer (37.23±3.02 μm vs 36.01±3.24 μm,
=0.07) and outer plexiform layer/outer nuclear layer (104.95±6.56 μm vs 104.23±7.59 μm,
=0.567), while GCLIPL (83.35±7.35 μm vs 74.38±9.09 μm), PR (83.03±3.31 μm vs 79.34±2.09 μm) and RT (330.64±12.63 μm vs 316.83±18.35 μm) showed a significant decrease (
<0.001 for all).
Our study provides normative data of alterations of retinal layers for persons aged 60 years to nonagenarians and indicates a continuous decrease of RT, PR, and GCLIPL. This data may be useful for clinical trials investigating macular diseases in older patients.