Myopic macular degeneration linked to age in older Singaporeans
Age-standardised prevalence was 5.1%; prevalence ranged from 3.1% at ages 60–65 to 13.1% at 85 or older.
Ophthalmology and Therapy
Among 1,643 community-dwelling Singaporeans aged 60 or older with natural lenses, researchers assessed myopic macular degeneration, eye structure, vision and dietary patterns. Participants had a mean age of 70.6 years. Examinations included fundus photography, refraction, axial length, best-corrected visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. A validated food frequency questionnaire captured dietary intake.
Age-standardised prevalence was 5.1% (95% confidence interval, 4.0–6.2%). Among participants with high myopia aged 75 or older, prevalence approached 80–100%. Older age, more myopic refraction and longer axial length were associated with the condition. MMD was also associated with worse visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, with adjusted differences of 0.05–0.10 logMAR and −0.10 to −0.15 logCS, respectively. Dietary patterns were not associated with MMD.
Why it matters
The findings link older age and eye structure to a degenerative condition associated with poorer vision, supporting structural monitoring in high-risk myopic populations.
Caveats
These observational data cannot establish causation or show that individual participants inevitably develop MMD as they age. The analysis included only participants with natural lenses.
The paper
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Jun-Shi Lai, Yijia Zhang, Hla Myint Htoon, Kyoko Ohno-Matsui, Ecosse L Lamoureux, Seang-Mei Saw,20 College Road Discovery Tower
Ophthalmology and Therapy · 5 Oct 2026