Alteration Of Retinal Layers In Healthy Subjects Over 60 Years Of Age Until Nonagenarians

Purpose: To assess alterations of retinal layers in healthy subjects over 60 years old.Methods: Retinal layers of 160 healthy subjects (aged 60-100 years) without any retinal pathology were imaged using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Mean thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell/inner plexiform layer (GCLIPL), inner nuclear layer, outer plexiform layer/outer nuclear layer, photoreceptor complex (PR) and retinal thickness (RT) were measured in a 3.45 mm grid. Correlations between age and layers were estimated and linear regression equations were calculated. Different age-groups (60-69, 70-79, 80-89 years and nonagenarians, each group with 40 participants) were compared.Results: Significant age-thickness correlations were observed for GCLIPL (P<0.001, r=-0.394), PR (P<0.001, r=-0.370) and RT (P<0.001, r=-0.290). A comparison between age groups 60-69 years and nonagenarians showed no significant thickness alteration of retinal nerve fiber layer (21.80 +/- 2.18 mu m vs 22.82 +/- 2.97 mu m, P=0.163), inner nuclear layer (37.23 +/- 3.02 mu m vs 36.01 +/- 3.24 mu m, P=0.07) and outer plexiform layer/outer nuclear layer (104.95 +/- 6.56 mu m vs 104.23 +/- 7.59 mu m, P=0.567), while GCLIPL (83.35 +/- 7.35 mu m vs 74.38 +/- 9.09 mu m), PR (83.03 +/- 3.31 mu m vs 79.34 +/- 2.09 mu m) and RT (330.64 +/- 12.63 mu m vs 316.83 +/- 18.35 mu m) showed a significant decrease (P<0.001 for all).Conclusion: Our study provides normative data of alterations of retinal layers for persons aged 60 years to nonagenarians and indicates a continuous decrease of RT, PR, and GCLIPL. This data may be useful for clinical trials investigating macular diseases in older patients.