Clinical profile of patients with low vision and blindness reporting to a private clinic in north india

Aim: To evaluate the causes of low vision and blindness among patients reporting to a private clinic in north india.
Study Design: Prospective observational study. 962 subjects aged 40 years and above were examined.
Materials and Methods: All subjects underwent a complete ophthalmic examination that included best-corrected visual acuity. Low vision and blindness were defined using World Health Organization (WHO) criteria.
Results: Of the 962 enumerated subjects, 427 males and 535 females were examined. Cataract was found to be the leading cause (58.1%) and glaucoma was the second cause (14.7%) for blindness. The primary causes for low vision were refractive errors (65%) and cataract (22%).
Conclusions: As per our study, cataract was the leading cause for blindness and refractive error was the main reason for low vision.