Ophthalmic genetics: at the dawn of discovery.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Leslie Hyman.
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PURPOSE: To investigate whether increased fluctuation of intraocular pressure (IOP) is an independent factor for glaucoma progression. DESIGN: A cohort of patients was followed up in a randomized clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred fifty-five glaucoma patients from the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial (EMGT; 129 treated and 126 control patients). METHODS: Study visits, conducted every 3 months, included ophthalmologic examinations, IOP measurements, and standard automated perimetry, with fundus photography every 6 months. Intraocular pressure values were included only until the time of progression in those eyes that showed such progression. Individual mean follow-up IOP and IOP fluctuation, calculated as the standard deviation of IOP at applicable visits, were the variables of main interest. Cox regression with time-dependent variables was used to evaluate the association between IOP fluctuation and time to progression, both with and without IOP mean in the models. These analyses also controlled for other significant variables. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Glaucoma progression, as defined by a predetermined visual field criterion, worsening of the disk, assessed by an independent disc reading center, or both. RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 8 years (range, 0.1-11.1 years). Sixty-eight percent of the patients progressed. When considering mean follow-up IOP and IOP fluctuation in the same time-dependent model, mean IOP was a significant risk factor for progression. The hazard ratio (HR) was 1.11 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.17; P<0.0001). Intraocular pressure fluctuation was not related to progression, with an HR of 1.00 (95% CI, 0.81-1.24; P = 0.999). CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm our earlier finding that elevated IOP is a strong factor for glaucoma progression, with the HR increasing by 11% for every 1 mmHg of higher IOP. Intraocular pressure fluctuation was not an independent factor in our analyses, a finding that conflicts with some earlier reports. One explanation for the discrepancy is that our analyses did not include postprogression IOP values, which would be biased toward larger fluctuations because of more intensive treatment. In contrast, in this EMGT report, no changes in patient management occurred during the period analyzed.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the 9-year incidence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a population with the same ancestry as African Americans. METHODS: Participants with diabetes mellitus and gradable photographs at the 9-year examination were evaluated (n = 436). The incidences of minimum/moderate/severe DR, clinically significant macular edema (CSME), and sight-threatening DR (severe DR plus CSME) were defined by the development of specific diabetic changes in persons without those conditions at baseline. Progression was defined as the development of severe/proliferative DR in persons with minimum/moderate DR at baseline. RESULTS: The 9-year DR incidence was 39.6% (38.0% for minimum, 9.0% for moderate, and 2.6% for severe/proliferative DR). Incidence tended to increase with diabetes duration and treatment. Of persons with preexisting DR at baseline, 8.2% progressed to proliferative DR. The CSME incidence was 8.7%, and it increased with diabetes duration, accounting for most of the overall incidence of sight-threatening DR. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides new data on long-term incidence among persons of African origin. Results suggest a possible lower risk of severe/proliferative DR than in whites, while CSME incidence seems comparable or higher. The main component of sight-threatening DR was CSME, highlighting the importance of DR as a cause of vision loss in this population.
PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the success of masking in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET), a study designed as a randomized, double-masked clinical trial comparing the effect of progressive addition lenses (PALs) with single-vision lenses (SVLs) in slowing myopia progression among children and to investigate the impact of unmasking on the treatment effect. METHODS: The success of masking of children and parents was assessed by questionnaires administered after the clinical trial results were reported and before families were informed of their child's lens assignment. Children and parents who correctly guessed their assignment with absolute or "pretty sure" certainty were considered as unmasked. The role of children's age, gender, and ethnicity in unmasking was evaluated using logistic regression. The impact of unmasking on the treatment effect at 3 years was investigated using analysis of variance. The success of masking of the study optometrists was assessed by data collected at the child's follow-up visits. RESULTS: Overall 93% (436 of 469) of the COMET children responded to the questions about lens assignment and certainty. Thirty-seven percent (163 of 436) of children met the criteria for being unmasked with similar results from the parents. The majority (91%) of the 163 "unmasked" children reported that their glasses were the main reason for lens identification. Although children 10 to 11 years at baseline became unmasked more often than did children 6 to 9 years (44% vs. 31%, p = 0.01), there was no difference between boys and girls becoming unmasked (p = 0.2). The treatment effect did not differ between the masked and unmasked children (p = 0.69). The study optometrists became unmasked for five children over the course of 3-year follow up. CONCLUSIONS: Masking was successfully maintained for the study optometrists and the majority (63%) of COMET children. Although some children were able to identify their lens assignment, the primary study outcome was not affected by unmasking.
OBJECTIVE: To provide 9-year incidence estimates of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a population of African descent. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand seven hundred ninety-three participants (81% of eligible) after 9 years' follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Nine-year incidence of AMD-related features, based on fundus photographic gradings and/or clinical examinations. RESULTS: The overall incidence rate of early AMD was 12.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.0%-14.1%), and that of late AMD was 0.7% (95% CI, 0.4%-1.1%). Both increased with age (P<0.05). For early AMD, incidence ranged from 10.7% at 40 to 49 years of age to 16.8% at > or =70 years. For late AMD, incidence increased from 0.1% to 2.3% in the same age groups. Late AMD was more likely to develop in eyes with pigment changes (risk ratio [RR], 5.8; 95% CI, 2.0-16.8) and retinal pigment epithelial atrophy (RR, 5.4; 95% CI, 1.9-15.8) at baseline. Crude RRs indicated significant associations of late AMD to elevated systolic blood pressure and diabetes history, but only the diabetes relationship was suggested after adjusting for age, with borderline statistical significance (age-adjusted RR, 2.7; P = 0.054). CONCLUSIONS: Nine-year data on natural history indicate that early AMD is common in this population of African origin, although late AMD is infrequent. These long-term observations provide further evidence for the lower AMD risk in black populations compared with white populations.
OBJECTIVE: To identify the baseline factors independently related to 3-year myopia progression and axial elongation in COMET. METHODS: A total of 469 children were enrolled, randomly assigned to progressive addition lenses with a + 2.00 diopter (D) addition or to single vision lenses and observed for 3 years. Eligible children were 6 to 11 years old, with spherical equivalent myopia of - 1.25 to - 4.50 D, bilaterally. The primary and secondary outcomes, myopia progression by cycloplegic autorefraction and axial elongation by A-scan ultrasonography, were measured annually. Multiple linear regression was used to adjust for covariates, including treatment. RESULTS: Younger baseline age (6-7 vs 11 years, 8 vs 11 years, and 9 vs 11 years, P<.001; 10 vs 11 years, P = .04), female sex (P = .01), and each ethnic group compared with African Americans (Asian, P = .02; Hispanic, P = .002; mixed, P = .002; white, P = .001) were independently associated with faster 3-year progression. Children aged 6 to 7 years had the fastest progression of all age groups, progressing by a mean (+/- SD) of 1.31 D +/- 0.13 more than children aged 11 years. Females progressed 0.16 D more than the males. Children of mixed, Hispanic, Asian, and white ethnicity progressed more than African American children by 0.49 D +/- 0.16, 0.33 D +/- 0.11, 0.32 D +/- 0.13, 0.27 D +/- 0.08, respectively. Age and ethnicity, but not sex, were independently associated with axial elongation. Among these myopic children, a 0.5 mm increase in axial length was associated with 1 D of myopia progression. CONCLUSIONS: Younger baseline age was the strongest factor independently associated with faster myopic progression and greater axial elongation at 3 years. African American children had less myopic progression and axial elongation than the other ethnic groups.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate factors related to the incidence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a population of African descent, after 9 years of follow-up. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study; 81% participation after 9 years. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred twenty-four participants of the Barbados Eye Studies, with diabetes mellitus (DM) at baseline and at risk for developing DR during follow-up. METHODS: Diabetes-related changes were assessed by masked gradings of baseline and follow-up photographs using a standardized system. The 9-year cumulative incidence of DR was based on participants with DM and free of retinopathy at baseline; incidence rates were estimated by the product-limit approach. Cox regression models for discrete-time data were used to evaluate risk factors associated with the 9-year incidence of DR. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses revealed that older age at DM onset decreased the 9-year risk of DR development; for each 10 years of older age at onset, the risk of DR decreased by 30% (risk ratio [RR], 0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56-0.96). The risk of DR doubled among persons with DM duration between 5 and 9 years (RR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2-3.6) versus those with shorter durations; it also doubled in those treated with oral medications or insulin at baseline versus those treated with diet only. Antihypertensive treatment halved the risk of DR versus no treatment (RR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3-0.9) and high systolic or diastolic blood pressure (BP) increased risk. Thus, DR risk increased by 30% for every 10 mmHg of higher systolic BP at baseline (RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4) or of BP increase from baseline to the 4-year follow-up (RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4). Diabetic retinopathy risk similarly increased with each 1% of higher glycosylated hemoglobin level at baseline (RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.5). CONCLUSIONS: The long-term follow-up of persons with DM in this population of African origin, where disease prevalence is high, identified important potentially modifiable risk factors for DR. Findings suggest that efforts to achieve optimal glycemic and BP control may reduce the vision-threatening complications of DM.
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PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adaptability of myopic children participating in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET) to the use of progressive addition lenses (PALs) with a modified fitting protocol of setting the distance fitting cross 4 mm above the pupil center. METHODS: COMET was a multicenter, randomized clinical trial to evaluate whether PALs vs. single-vision lenses (SVLs) slowed the rate of progression in children with juvenile-onset myopia over 3 years. Of the 469 children enrolled, 234 were assigned to SVLs and 235 were assigned to PALs (+2.00 D near addition), which were fit according to a standard study protocol with the fitting cross positioned 4 mm above the pupil center. The children's adaptability to the use of PALs was evaluated by comparing the frequency and reasons for problem visits, visual symptoms, cover test results, and adherence to wearing glasses between treatment groups. RESULTS: During the first 3 years of follow-up, no differences were observed between children wearing PALs and those wearing SVLs with respect to the number or reasons for problem visits. One week after receipt of the study glasses, children wearing PALs showed a higher frequency of three visual symptoms related to adaptability: looking down from the blackboard and getting items on their desk in focus (p = 0.001), blur when reading (p = 0.003), and difficulty going down steps (p = 0.02). Children wearing PALs were more likely to report at least one adaptation symptom at 1 week: odds ratio of 2.76 (95% confidence interval = 1.28-5.95). By 1 month, these differences disappeared and the frequency of all visual symptoms remained low and similar for both treatment groups over 3 years. Strabismus was observed on cover test in five children (three SVLs, two PALs). None of the children had to be changed from PALs to SVLs, whereas two of the children were changed from SVLs to PALs as a result of binocular vision problems. The children and parents reported adherence to wearing the eyeglasses approached 100% compliance throughout the follow-up period for both groups. Most (98%) of the 235 children assigned to PALs maintained the modified fitting protocol without any problems over 3 years. CONCLUSION: These data show that children can safely and comfortably wear PALs for at least 3 years.
PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to evaluate self-esteem over 3 years in the 469 myopic children participating in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET), and to examine its relationship with lens assignment (progressive addition lenses [PALs] vs. single-vision lenses [SVLs]), myopia progression, and several other ocular and demographic characteristics. METHODS: Data collection included refractive error measurements, child-reported visual symptoms, attitude toward glasses, adherence, and self-esteem as measured by the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC). A two-way analysis of variance (treatment group x time) was performed to examine whether PAL and SVL wearers differed in self-esteem over time. Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between self-esteem at follow-up and relevant factors identified by univariate analyses. RESULTS: Regardless of lens assignment or myopia progression, COMET children reported moderate to high levels of self-esteem at follow-up in the areas of scholastic and athletic competence, physical appearance, social acceptance, behavioral conduct, and global self-worth. Mean scores ranged from 2.87 (+/- 0.68) on athletic competence to 3.40 (+/- 0.56) on global self-worth. Self-esteem changed significantly (p < 0.05) over 3 years in the domains of scholastic competence, social acceptance, and physical appearance. Self-esteem at follow-up was associated with visual symptoms, attitude toward glasses, age, gender, and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Lens assignment and myopia progression were not associated with self-esteem in the COMET cohort. These children had high levels of self-esteem, suggesting that having myopia does not negatively impact self-esteem. Follow-up reports will monitor self-esteem and related factors in this cohort of myopic children over the course of adolescence and early adulthood.
BACKGROUND: The Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET), a randomized, multicenter clinical trial of myopia progression in children, had an exceptionally high retention rate of 98.5% (462/469) at three years of follow-up. The present investigation was designed to evaluate and compare the reasons for COMET's high retention rate according to participating families and clinical center staff. METHODS: Families (n = 411) and staff (n = 35) completed a confidential 19-item questionnaire by indicating families' levels of preference for each item, and rating its importance in keeping families in the study. The questionnaire evaluated study features in four categories: staff characteristics, operational aspects, specific study elements, and incentives. RESULTS: Results showed that most families viewed the study very favorably. Features that appealed to 90% or more families and promoted continued study participation included staff attributes such as friendliness, responsiveness and encouragement, and aspects pertaining to standard of care such as completeness of eye exam, quality of eye care and free eyeglasses. Compared to families, staff tended to underestimate the importance of the following features for retention: seeing the same staff at each visit, appointment reminders, center location, newsletters, commitment to the study, being part of a nationwide study, length of the study, association with a college of optometry, completeness of eye exam, and eye drops (p < 0.05 by chi-square analyses). However, staff responses also revealed less preferred components of the study protocol (e.g., eye drops), to which families might have been reluctant to respond unfavorably. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the importance of intangible factors such as staff attributes and participants' study commitment in maintaining high retention rates, and the usefulness of surveying both families and staff.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the 4-year incidence of visual impairment and causes of blindness among black participants of the Barbados Eye Studies. DESIGN: Population-based incidence study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The Barbados Incidence Study of Eye Diseases (BISED) followed the cohort of the Barbados Eye Study (BES), a prevalence study based on a simple random sample of Barbadians 40 to 84 years of age. BISED included 3193 black participants from the original cohort (85% of those eligible). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Best-corrected visual acuity (Ferris-Bailey chart) at baseline and follow-up was measured according to a modified Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study protocol. By use of World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, low vision and blindness for an individual were defined as visual acuity (VA) <6/18 to 6/120 and <6/120, respectively, in the better eye. By commonly used US criteria, low vision and blindness were defined as VA < or = 20/40 and < or = 20/200, respectively. Vision loss was defined as a doubling of the visual angle (i.e., decrease of 15 letters or more read correctly between baseline and follow-up examinations). Progression was defined as vision loss among those with low vision at baseline. RESULTS: On the basis of WHO criteria, the overall 4-year incidence was 3.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.0%-4.4%) for low vision and 0.6% (95% CI, 0.4%-1.0%) for blindness. Incidence rates were higher using US criteria: 5.3% (95 % CI, 4.5%-6.2%) and 1.5% (95% CI, 1.1%-2.0%), respectively, reaching 21.5% and 7.3% for persons aged 70 years or older at baseline. One tenth of the cohort had vision loss, and 28.6% of those with low vision progressed. About one half of incident blindness was due to age-related cataract. Nearly one fifth was caused by open-angle glaucoma (OAG) alone or combined with cataract, and approximately 10% was caused by diabetic retinopathy (DR). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of visual impairment was high in this Afro-Caribbean population, particularly in older age groups, indicating the public health significance of visual loss for this and similar black populations. Cataract, OAG, and DR were among the leading causes of incident blindness, paralleling their high prevalence in this population.
OBJECTIVE: To describe longitudinal macular changes in a black population after 4 years of follow-up. DESIGN: Population-based incidence study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The Barbados Incidence Study of Eye Diseases (BISED) reexamined the Barbados Eye Study cohort, which was based on a random sample of the country's residents, 40 to 84 years. The BISED included 3427 persons, or 85% of the eligible cohort. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Four-year incidence of macular changes, as determined by gradings of color stereoscopic macular photographs. RESULTS: Among black participants, the overall 4-year incidence of early macular changes (medium or large drusen or >20 small drusen with retinal pigment epithelium [RPE] atrophy or pigment) was 5.2% (95% confidence interval, 4.0%-6.6%) and tended to be higher in women (5.8%) than in men (4.1%). Incidence of related features was 5.2% for medium drusen (64-250 microm), 0.3% for drusen >250 microm, 1.1% for confluence, 0.5% for pigment, and 0.1% for RPE atrophy. Of the 2362 persons at risk for late macular changes (geographic atrophy, fluid, lipid, hemorrhage, disciform scar), exudative features developed in only 1 person in 4 years. Less than 1% of persons with early macular changes at baseline had disappearance of related features. CONCLUSIONS: After 4 years, the development of severe macular disease was rare in this black population, and the incidence of early macular changes also was lower than in other populations. Results are consistent with the low risk of macular degeneration in persons of African descent.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review summarizes factors for progression in the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial (EMGT), including the effect of treatment. EMGT randomized patients with early glaucoma either to argon laser trabeculoplasty plus betaxolol (n = 129) or to no immediate treatment (n = 126) and followed them every 3 months. RECENT FINDINGS: Treated patients had delayed progression, as compared with controls. In Cox regression, EMGT treatment halved the risk of progression (hazard ratio = 0.50; 95% confidence interval: 0.35, 0.71). Risk decreased about 10% with each millimeter mercury of intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction from baseline; the higher (or lower) the IOP at follow-up, the higher (or lower) the risk. Baseline factors increasing progression were higher IOP, exfoliation, bilateral disease, worse perimetric mean deviation and older age; frequent disc hemorrhages at follow-up also increased risk. SUMMARY: EMGT treatment reduced progression risk in half, demonstrating the value of IOP lowering in early glaucoma. Age and indicators of disease severity also predicted progression.
PURPOSE: To examine baseline measurements of accommodative lag, phoria, reading distance, amount of near work, and level of myopia as risk factors for progression of myopia and their interaction with treatment over 3 years, in children enrolled in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET). METHODS: COMET enrolled 469 ethnically diverse children (ages, 6-11 years) with myopia between -1.25 and -4.50 D. They were randomly assigned to either progressive addition lenses (PALs) with a +2.00 addition (n = 235) or single vision lenses (SVLs; n = 234), the conventional spectacle treatment, and were observed for 3 years. The primary outcome measure was progression of myopia by autorefraction after cycloplegia with 2 drops of 1% tropicamide. Other measurements included accommodative response (by an open field of view autorefractor), phoria (by cover test), reading distance, and hours of near work. Independent and interaction analyses were based on the mean of the two eyes. Results were adjusted for important covariates with multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Children with larger accommodative lags (>0.43 D for a 33 cm target) wearing SVLs had the most progression at 3 years. PALs were effective in slowing progression in these children, with statistically significant 3-year treatment effects (mean +/- SE) for those with larger lags in combination with near esophoria (PAL - SVL progression = -1.08 D - [-1.72 D] = 0.64 +/- 0.21 D), shorter reading distances (0.44 +/- 0.20 D), or lower baseline myopia (0.48 +/- 0.15 D). The 3-year treatment effect for larger lags in combination with more hours of near work was 0.42 +/- 0.26 D, which did not reach statistical significance. Statistically significant treatment effects were observed in these four groups at 1 year and became larger from 1 to 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the COMET rationale (i.e., a role for retinal defocus in myopia progression). In clinical practice in the United States children with large lags of accommodation and near esophoria often are prescribed PALs or bifocals to improve visual performance. Results of this study suggest that such children, if myopic, may have an additional benefit of slowed progression of myopia.
Healthy control participants (46 women, M age=44.3 yr., SD=7.6; 29 men) were recruited to undergo a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and serve as a comparison group in a study of cognitive functioning in patients with Lyme isease. Participants were selected using Mitofsky-Waksberg random digit dialing. The Buschke 12-word, six-trial Selective Reminding Test was administered as part of the neuropsychological battery and normative data are presented stratified by age and sex. Performance on alternate forms of this measure were examined. Mean education, intelligence quotient, and Wide Range Achievement Test-3 Reading scores are reported.
OBJECTIVE: To assess factors for progression in the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial (EMGT), including the effect of EMGT treatment. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred fifty-five open-angle glaucoma patients randomized to argon laser trabeculoplasty plus topical betaxolol or no immediate treatment (129 treated; 126 controls) and followed up every 3 months. METHODS: Progression was determined by perimetric and photographic optic disc criteria. Patient-based risk of progression was evaluated using Cox proportional hazard regression models and was expressed as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: After 6 years, 53% of patients progressed. In multivariate analyses, progression risk was halved by treatment (HR = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.35-0.71). Predictive baseline factors were higher intraocular pressure (IOP) (ie, the higher the baseline IOP, the higher the risk), exfoliation, and having both eyes eligible (each of the latter 2 factors doubled the risk), as well as worse mean deviation and older age. Progression risk decreased by about 10% with each millimeter of mercury of IOP reduction from baseline to the first follow-up visit (HR = 0.90 per millimeter of mercury decrease; 95% CI, 0.86-0.94). The first IOP at that visit (3 months' follow-up) was also related to progression (HR = 1.11 per millimeter of mercury higher; 95% CI, 1.06-1.17), as was the mean IOP at follow-up (HR = 1.13 per millimeter of mercury higher; 95% CI, 1.07-1.19). The percent of patient follow-up visits with disc hemorrhages was also related to progression (HR = 1.02 per percent higher; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03). No other factors were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated in the EMGT had half of the progression risk of control patients. The magnitude of initial IOP reduction was a major factor influencing outcome. Progression was also increased with higher baseline IOP, exfoliation, bilateral disease, worse mean deviation, and older age, as well as frequent disc hemorrhages during follow-up. Each higher (or lower) millimeter of mercury of IOP on follow-up was associated with an approximate 10% increased (or decreased) risk of progression.
PURPOSE: To examine the 4-year incidence and risk factors for diabetic retinopathy (DR) among black participants with diabetes in the Barbados Eye Studies (BES). DESIGN: Population-based incidence study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred ten persons with diabetes mellitus (DM) from the BES cohort, which was based on a simple random sample of Barbadians, 40 to 84 years of age at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Development of DR, assessed by independent gradings of 30 degrees color stereo fundus photographs of the disc and macula. Associations were evaluated by logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: After 4 years, DR developed in 92 of 306 (30.1%; 95% confidence interval, 25.0%, 35.5%) persons unaffected at baseline. The incidence of DR was 31.9% in those with known DM at baseline and 20.9% in newly diagnosed DM. Clinically significant macular edema developed in 16 (4.5%) of 353 individuals at risk. Seven (6.9%) of the 101 persons with minimum or moderate DR at baseline progressed to proliferative DR. Age-specific incidence declined from 36.2% at age 40 to 49 years to 28.8% and 24.2% over the subsequent two decades, increasing to 38.2% among those >/=70 years. Risk factors for DR were increased systolic blood pressure (relative risk [RR], 1.16 [1.03, 1.31]/10 mmHg increase); use of oral hypoglycemics (RR, 2.4 [1.3, 4.2]); and use of insulin (RR, 6.1 [1.7, 22.1]) (vs. no treatment or diet only); and elevated glycated hemoglobin (GHb; RR, 6.4 [2.5, 16.0]); GHb >11.5% vs. GHb </=8%). CONCLUSIONS: High rates of incident DR were evident in the black BES population, also known to have high rates of DM. Prevention of visual loss caused by DR in this population has high priority, including optimal glycemic and blood pressure control.