Blue Mountains Eye Study

The Blue Mountains Eye Study is a large longitudinal study of poor vision and eye diseases in older people. The study commenced in 1992-1993, with the recruitment of 3654 people aged 50 years and older. A 5-year follow-up examination was conducted in 1997-98 and 10-year follow-up examinations were completed in early 2004. Professor Cumming has mainly been involved with those aspects of the study concerned with risk factors for cataract. The Blue Mountains Eye Study was the first study to find an association between use of inhaled corticosteroids and risk of cataract. The study also found interesting associations between diet and cataract and hormone replacement therapy and cataract, as well as confirming the importance of smoking and diabetes as risk factors for cataract.

More Details

More details about the Blue Mountains Eye Study, including information about the studies population, the examinations and findings are given on the Centre for Vision Research web site, link here

Publications

Over 150 publications have resulted from the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Links to some of the more recent publications follow:

Visual impairment, age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and long-term mortality: the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Cugati S, Cumming RG, Smith W, Burlutsky G, Mitchell P, Wang JJ. Arch Ophthalmol. 2007 Jul;125(7):917-24.
To view the abstract for this paper, link here

Ten-year incidence and progression of age-related maculopathy: the blue Mountains Eye Study. Wang JJ, Rochtchina E, Lee AJ, Chia EM, Smith W, Cumming RG, Mitchell P Ophthalmology. 2007 Jan;114(1):92-8.
To view the abstract for this paper, link here

Pain and falls in older people. Blyth FM, Cumming R, Mitchell P, Wang JJ. Eur J Pain. 2007 Jul;11(5):564-71. Epub 2006 Oct 2
To view the abstract for this paper, link here

Variables determining perceived global health ranks: findings from a population-based study. Wang JJ, Smith W, Cumming RG, Mitchell P. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2006 Mar;35(3):190-7.
To view the abstract for this paper, link here

Poor vision and the risk of falls and fractures in older Australians: the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Rebecca Ivers R, Cumming R, Mitchell P. NSW Public Health Bulletin Vol. 13 No. 1-2
To view the abstract for this paper, link here