Key Ocular Health Indicators in Early Adulthood

A recent longitudinal study published in Translational Vision Science & Technology has provided critical reference data on how key ocular health indicators evolve in early adulthood. Researchers from the University of Western Australia tracked changes in peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness, intraocular pressure (IOP), and central corneal thickness (CCT) in participants between the ages of 20 and 28 years​.

Involving over 1,300 eyes from the Raine study – a multigenerational cohort study beginning in Perth in 1989 – participants were examined at two time points eight years apart (20 years old and 28 years old). The findings indicated a measurable decline in pRNFL thickness, with an average loss of 0.27 µm per year. This thinning was more pronounced in certain retinal sectors, but occurred across most quadrants of the optic nerve head, suggesting that retinal nerve fibers begin to thin even in young adulthood – a process previously thought to occur primarily in later life.

Concurrently, IOP decreased by an average of 0.18 mmHg per year, from a baseline mean of 15.4 mmHg at age 20 to 13.9 mmHg by age 28. The study also noted a small but statistically significant increase in CCT over the same period, at a rate of 0.18 µm per year.

The significance of this research lies in its contribution to establishing normative values for ocular changes in early adulthood. Such benchmarks are essential for differentiating between normal age-related decline and early signs of pathology, such as glaucoma. Unlike many cross-sectional studies, which often generalize changes across broader age groups, this study's longitudinal design captures real-world changes over time, providing a more accurate and clinically useful picture for ophthalmologists.