Ocular biometry in adults from a population‐based study in Germany

Abstract Purpose: To obtain normal ocular biometry data in healthy European subjects. Methods: As part of the large population‐based LIFE‐Adult study (Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases), randomly selected participants from Leipzig, Germany were evaluated with the ZEISS IOL‐Master 700 (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany). Age range was 25–85 years, with 50% of participants above 70 years by study design and mean age of 64 years. Axial length (AL), central corneal thickness (CCT), aqueous depth (AQD), lens thickness (LT) and corneal radii (R1 & R2) were assessed in 1365 right eyes (two mandatory repeated measurements, with quality check passed). Results: Mean AL was 23.53 mm and mean CCT was 558 micrometres with no significant change with age. AQD decreased from 2.61 mm at 50 years to 2.44 mm at 80 years. LT increased from 4.36 mm at 50 years to 4.50 mm at 80 years. LT was 4.69 mm in eyes with AL of 22 mm and 4.38 in eyes with AL of 25 mm. Mean R1 was 7.81 mm and mean R2 7.66 mm with no significant change with age. Conclusions: Above 25 years of age, we found no difference of axial length or corneal thickness with age. The lens was found continuously thicker with age and aqueous depth decreased with age. Short eyes had thicker lenses compared to long eyes; probably an adaptation to maintain a sharp retinal image.