THE FRAMINGHAM EYE STUDY

Abstract

Kahn, H. A. (Department of Epidemiology, The Johns Hopkins U. School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205), H. M. Leibowltz, J. P. Ganley, M. M. Kini, T. Colton, R. S. Nlckerson and T. R. Dawber. The Framingham Eye Study. II. Association of ophthalmic pathology with single variables previously measured in the Framingham Heart Study. Am J Epidemiol 106:33–41, 1977. Using the age-sex-specific data collected in the Framingham Heart Study 1948–1964 together with ophthalmic diagnoses made in the Framingham Eye Study in 1973–1975, the following variables were found to be associated with senile cataract: education, casual blood sugar, systemic blood pressure, height, vital capacity, serum phospholipid and hand strength; with senile macular degeneration: systemic blood pressure, height, vital capacity, left ventricular hypertrophy, hand strength and history of lung infection; with diabetic retinopathy: casual blood sugar, urine sugar and other specific elements of diabetes; with ocular hypertension: systemic blood pressure, height, casual blood sugar and pulse rate. No variables were identified as associated with open-angle glaucoma. The paper stresses the need for corroboration of these findings, which may be a mix of real and chance associations, and the need for additional analyses before any of these associations are considered evidence of factors related to risk of ophthalmic disease.