Analysis of ocular biometric characteristics in a Mediterranean population.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The changes of ocular biometric parameters with age have significant clinical implications for intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation and surgical planning. However, few large-sample studies have analyzed this variability in Mediterranean populations with cataract. The objective of the present study is to analyze the biometric characteristics of a large sample with a complete age representation MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective observational study including 5,716 eyes. Axial length (AL), corneal radii (R1 and R2), anterior chamber depth (ACD), central corneal thickness (CCT), white-to-white diameter (WTW), and lens thickness (LT) were analyzed. Linear and polynomial regression models were applied to assess their relationship with age. Adjustments for sex were performed using multiple regression.

RESULTS: AL and ACD decreased significantly with age (p < 0.001), while LT increased exponentially from the sixth decade onwards (p < 0.001). No relevant changes were observed in CCT or WTW. Males presented greater AL, ACD, and WTW than females (p < 0.001). Variability increased in older age groups.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides detailed and population-specific reference values for the Mediterranean population with cataract. Identifying morphometric patterns associated with ocular aging enables optimized IOL calculation and risk anticipation in elderly patients.