贫穷文盲增加青光眼致盲危险
路透社纽约健康消息 3月17日出版的《英国医学杂志》有报导说：贫穷和文盲会增加患青光眼所致失明的危险性。这项研究结果支持社会经济地位低下会增加慢性眼科疾病(包括青光眼)发病率的观点。
青光眼是一种慢性疾病，表现为无先兆的视力下降，通常没有什么症状。视力下降是由异常的高眼压引起，早期治疗能阻止疾病发展，定期检查有利于及早发现病症。迄今为止，青光眼的病因并未完全清楚且无法治愈，患者需要终生治疗。
伦敦大学医学院的研究员对110名被诊断为晚期青光眼患者及110名早期青光眼的病人的社会经济地位进行了评价，分析了他们的受教育程度、是否有车以及他们是租房还是拥有自己的房子。结果发现，病情向失明进一步发展的病人更可能属于“社会地位低下”阶层。这项研究可能是首次揭示：失明应付能力最差且经济状况不稳定的人反而是发生青光眼所致失明危险性更大的人。
据美国青光眼研究基金会的资料，目前估计有250万到300万的美国人患有青光眼，黑人比白人患青光眼的可能性要高3～5倍。以前一直没有弄明白为什么会出现这种情况，现在看来，社会经济环境也许就是美国黑人比美国白人更容易患上青光眼的部份原因。
, http://www.100md.com
青光眼可发生在任何年龄，高危人群是60岁以上、40岁以上的美国黑人、有青光眼家族史的人、糖尿病患者以及严重近视患者。
来源：《英国医学杂》2001;322:639-643
Study Links Glaucoma Risk to Socioeconomic Status
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Being poor and uneducated increases a person‘s risk of developing glaucoma-related blindness, researchers report in the March 17th issue of the British Medical Journal.
``Our study adds to the sparse evidence that lower socioeconomic status is linked with increased risk of chronic eye disease and extends it to include glaucoma,‘‘ according to Scott Fraser of University College London and colleagues.
, 百拇医药
Glaucoma is a disease that gradually steals sight without warning and often without symptoms. Vision loss is caused by abnormally high pressure inside the eye. Early treatment can help ward off the disease, but regular screening is needed to catch it at an early stage.
Fraser and colleagues evaluated the socioeconomic status of 110 patients diagnosed with advanced glaucoma and compared them with 110 people in an early stage of the disease. The investigators took into account the patients‘ education, their access to a car, and whether they rented or owned their home.
, 百拇医药
Patients in a more advanced stage of their illness where more likely to be considered ``underprivileged‘‘ based on the researchers‘ classification system.
The study seems to be the first to show that those people who have the least financial stability and social support to cope with blindness are at higher risk of going blind due to glaucoma, the authors report.
Currently, it is estimated that 2.5 million to 3 million people in the US have glaucoma. African Americans are 3 to 5 times more likely to develop glaucoma than white Americans are, according to Dr. M. Roy Wilson, a spokesman for the Glaucoma Research Foundation in San Francisco, California.
, 百拇医药
``Nobody has ever figured out why this is so,‘‘ Wilson told Reuters Health. ``Socioeconomic status may play a role and can be a major factor--it has been shown to be a factor in many other types of disease,‘‘ he said.
The findings of this study help support the hypothesis that African Americans have a higher risk of glaucoma compared with whites in part because of socioeconomic circumstances, Wilson noted.
Glaucoma, which is a chronic disease, must be treated for life. To date, its causes are not well understood and there is no cure, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation.
The eye disease can occur in people of all ages, but those at higher risk of developing glaucoma include people over age 60, African Americans over age 40, those related to people with glaucoma, diabetics, and people who are very nearsighted.
SOURCE: British Medical Journal 2001;322:639-643., 百拇医药
青光眼是一种慢性疾病，表现为无先兆的视力下降，通常没有什么症状。视力下降是由异常的高眼压引起，早期治疗能阻止疾病发展，定期检查有利于及早发现病症。迄今为止，青光眼的病因并未完全清楚且无法治愈，患者需要终生治疗。
伦敦大学医学院的研究员对110名被诊断为晚期青光眼患者及110名早期青光眼的病人的社会经济地位进行了评价，分析了他们的受教育程度、是否有车以及他们是租房还是拥有自己的房子。结果发现，病情向失明进一步发展的病人更可能属于“社会地位低下”阶层。这项研究可能是首次揭示：失明应付能力最差且经济状况不稳定的人反而是发生青光眼所致失明危险性更大的人。
据美国青光眼研究基金会的资料，目前估计有250万到300万的美国人患有青光眼，黑人比白人患青光眼的可能性要高3～5倍。以前一直没有弄明白为什么会出现这种情况，现在看来，社会经济环境也许就是美国黑人比美国白人更容易患上青光眼的部份原因。
, http://www.100md.com
青光眼可发生在任何年龄，高危人群是60岁以上、40岁以上的美国黑人、有青光眼家族史的人、糖尿病患者以及严重近视患者。
来源：《英国医学杂》2001;322:639-643
Study Links Glaucoma Risk to Socioeconomic Status
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Being poor and uneducated increases a person‘s risk of developing glaucoma-related blindness, researchers report in the March 17th issue of the British Medical Journal.
``Our study adds to the sparse evidence that lower socioeconomic status is linked with increased risk of chronic eye disease and extends it to include glaucoma,‘‘ according to Scott Fraser of University College London and colleagues.
, 百拇医药
Glaucoma is a disease that gradually steals sight without warning and often without symptoms. Vision loss is caused by abnormally high pressure inside the eye. Early treatment can help ward off the disease, but regular screening is needed to catch it at an early stage.
Fraser and colleagues evaluated the socioeconomic status of 110 patients diagnosed with advanced glaucoma and compared them with 110 people in an early stage of the disease. The investigators took into account the patients‘ education, their access to a car, and whether they rented or owned their home.
, 百拇医药
Patients in a more advanced stage of their illness where more likely to be considered ``underprivileged‘‘ based on the researchers‘ classification system.
The study seems to be the first to show that those people who have the least financial stability and social support to cope with blindness are at higher risk of going blind due to glaucoma, the authors report.
Currently, it is estimated that 2.5 million to 3 million people in the US have glaucoma. African Americans are 3 to 5 times more likely to develop glaucoma than white Americans are, according to Dr. M. Roy Wilson, a spokesman for the Glaucoma Research Foundation in San Francisco, California.
, 百拇医药
``Nobody has ever figured out why this is so,‘‘ Wilson told Reuters Health. ``Socioeconomic status may play a role and can be a major factor--it has been shown to be a factor in many other types of disease,‘‘ he said.
The findings of this study help support the hypothesis that African Americans have a higher risk of glaucoma compared with whites in part because of socioeconomic circumstances, Wilson noted.
Glaucoma, which is a chronic disease, must be treated for life. To date, its causes are not well understood and there is no cure, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation.
The eye disease can occur in people of all ages, but those at higher risk of developing glaucoma include people over age 60, African Americans over age 40, those related to people with glaucoma, diabetics, and people who are very nearsighted.
SOURCE: British Medical Journal 2001;322:639-643., 百拇医药