The relationship between age, axial length and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in the normal elderly population in Taiwan: The Chiayi eye study in Taiwan

Abstract

AimsTo interpret how the thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) changes with increasing age, axial length, or anterior chamber depth as measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the normal elderly population in Taiwan.MethodsA total of 82 volunteers (143 eyes) were enrolled. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the correlation.ResultsThe RNFL was significantly thinner in the superonasal (p = 0.004), inferotemporal (p = 0.046), and temporolower (p = 0.009) segments with age. The same trend was also observed in the superotemporal (p = 0.330) segment, although it was not statistically significant. The global RNFL thickness decreased by 4.97 μm per decade (β = -0.497; p = 0.021), and thinning was significant in the superonasal (-9.90 μm per decade, p < 0.001) and temporolower (-6.78 μm per decade, p < 0.001) segments; the same trend showed borderline significance in the superotemporal (-6.96 μm per decade, p = 0.073) and inferotemporal (-7.23 μm per decade, p = 0.059) segments. In eyes with longer axial length, the RNFLs significantly decreased in the non-temporal segments. Global RNFL thickness decreased by 3.086 μm for each additional millimeter of axial length (β = -3.086; p < 0.001).ConclusionsChanges in RNFL thickness were correlated with age in the superonasal, superotemporal, inferotemporal, and temporolower segments, and were correlated with axial length in the non-temporal segments. Anterior chamber depth was not correlated with RNFL thickness.

Age-Related Alterations in Retinal Tissue Perfusion and Volumetric Vessel Density

“…Almost no change of the inner retinal volume found in the present study is mostly due to the changes in the opposite directions of the RNFL + GCIPL (decreasing) and INL + OPL (increasing). The thinning of the RNFL and GCIPL layers had been reported in the prior studies 9,23–25. Moreno et al26 observed a positive correlation between age and OPL, which is in agreement with the OPL finding in the present study.…”

Assessment Of Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Post Pars Plana Vitrectomy By Ocular Coherence Tomograghy

“…In the present study we found that the RNFL is significantly changed in correlation with axial length at almost all quadrants at the 3 months follow up, this is similar to Chen et al (10) who found that there are significant correlation between RNFL thickness and axial length in non-temporal area, in contrast to Takkar et al (9) who did not find significant changes with axial length of the eye.…”

ALDH2 protects naturally aged mouse retina via inhibiting oxidative stress-related apoptosis and enhancing unfolded protein response in endoplasmic reticulum

“…It was found that aging was associated with a decrease in thickness of the photoreceptor layer [ 28 ]. Additionally, a reduction in the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness were correlated with increasing age [ 29 ].…”