Diffractive multifocal IOL linked with progressive decline in vision in aging patients

Patients implanted with diffractive multifocal IOLs had notable declines in the corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), distance corrected near VA (DCNVA), and near area of focus (AoF) with aging, according to Dr Ryo Terauchi and associates from the Department of Ophthalmology at the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan.

The investigators compared the effects of aging in this patient population by dividing patients who had been implanted with diffractive multifocal IOLs into the following 4 groups: those under 50 years of age, 50 to 59 years, 60 to 69 years, and 70 to 79 years.

The CDVA, DCNVA, and an area of focus metric, i.e., the distance, intermediate, and near AoF were measured postoperatively and compared among the age groups.

Age group comparisons

The respective CDVAs in the 4 age groups declined with age: −0.18, −0.16, −0.14, and −0.10 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR). In patients in their 70s, the CDVA was significantly worse compared with those younger than 50 years and those in their 50s (p = 0.002 and p = 0.049, respectively), Dr Terauchi reported.

He also reported that the respective DCNVAs in the 4 age groups showed the same trend: 0.01, 0.03, 0.03, and 0.08 logMAR. The DCNVA in the oldest group was significantly worse than those in patients younger than 50 years and those in their 60s (p = 0.008 and p = 0.019, respectively).

Finally, the near AoF was smaller in the oldest patients compared with the patients younger than 50 years and those patients in their 50s (p = 0.040 and p = 0.047, respectively). No significant differences were seen in the intermediate and distant AoFs in the 4 groups. However, in patients over 60 years of age, a “steep” decline was seen in the AoF.

Reference

Terauchi R, Horiguchi H, Ogawa S, et al. Age-related visual outcomes in eyes with diffractive multifocal intraocular lenses. Eye 2021; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-021-01854-x