The Auckland Cataract Study: demographic, corneal topographic and ocular biometric parameters

Purpose : To determine patient demographics and the ocular biometric parameters in patients presenting for cataract surgery within the public hospital system, in a defined New Zealand population. Method : Prospective study of 502 eyes of 488 consecutive patients undergoing cataract surgery. A clinical assessment, including refraction, keratometry (K), A‐scan ultrasound and Orbscan II computerized topography was performed on each eye. Results : The mean age of the group was 74.9 ± 9.8 years (mean ± SD) with a female predominance (62%). Ethnic origin included 72% European, 8% Maori, 10% Pacific Islander, 4% Asian, 3% Indian and 3% other ethnic origins. The mean Log MAR visual acuity of eyes prior to cataract surgery was 0.88 ± 0.57 (approximately 6/48^–1). Corneal topographic (keratometric) maps were classified into five groups: 34% round, 10% oval, 31% symmetrical bow tie, 12% asymmetrical bow tie and 13% irregular. The mean steepest K measurement was 44.1 ± 1.7 D, the median keratometric astigmatism 0.89 D (range 0.0–6.5 D) and the steepest corneal meridian was horizontal in 50% and vertical in 43%. Seven per cent of corneas were spherical. Refraction revealed a mean sphere of 0.0 ± 3.1 D and a mean cylinder of –1.2 (range 0.0–7.5 D). Refractive astigmatism was with‐the‐rule in 15%, against‐the‐rule in 50% and oblique in 15%, with 20% spherical. Axial length was a mean of 23.14 ± 1.03 mm. Conclusion : Patients presenting for cataract surgery in this study were predominantly elderly, female, of European Caucasian ethnicity and exhibited relatively poor corrected visual acuity in the affected eye. Interestingly, 41% of eyes demonstrated bow‐tie topographic patterns, largely exhibiting with‐the‐rule astigmatism. However, assessment by keratometry or refraction highlighted against‐the‐rule more frequently; this may have implications for combined cataract and astigmatic surgery. The mean axial length was slightly shorter than expected for a group of predominantly European ethnic origin, although the mean refractive error was emmetropic.     

High rate of death caused by systemic lupus erythematosus among U. S. residents of asian descent

From 1968 through 1976, adjusted annual rates of death from systemic lupus erythematosus, based on National Center for Health Statistics data from the 12 states with most (88%) of the Asian population, were higher for Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos than for whites in the United States. These Asian subgroups had a combined average annual mortality rate significantly higher than that of whites whether Hawaii was included (6.8/million for Asians versus 2.8 for whites) or excluded (6.0 versus 2.8).