Zouache MA, Faust CD, Silvestri V, Akafo S, Lartey S, Mehta R, Carroll J, Silvestri G, Hageman GS, Amoaku WM. Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in an Indigenous Population from Ghana: Comparison with Individuals with European or African Ancestry.
Ophthalmol Sci 2024;
4:100386. [PMID:
37868802 PMCID:
PMC10585639 DOI:
10.1016/j.xops.2023.100386]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the thickness of the macular retina and central choroid in an indigenous population from Ghana, Africa and to compare them with those measured among individuals with European or African ancestry.
Design
Cross-sectional study, systematic review, and meta-analyses.
Participants
Forty-two healthy Ghanaians, 37 healthy individuals with European ancestry, and an additional 1427 healthy subjects with African ancestry from previously published studies.
Methods
Macular retinal thickness in the fovea, parafovea, and perifovea and central choroidal thickness were extracted from OCT volume scans. Associations with ethnicity, age, and sex were assessed using mixed-effect regression models. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to determine the sensitivity of significant associations to additional potential confounders. Pooled estimates of retinal thickness among other groups with African ancestry were generated through systematic review and meta-analyses.
Main Outcome Measures
Macular retinal thickness and central choroidal thickness and their association with ethnicity, age, and sex.
Results
When adjusted for age and sex, the macular retina and central choroid of Ghanaians are significantly thinner as compared with subjects with European ancestry (P < 0.001). A reduction in retinal and choroidal thickness is observed with age, although this effect is independent of ethnicity. Meta-analyses indicate that retinal thickness among Ghanaians differs markedly from that of African Americans and other previously reported indigenous African populations.
Conclusions
The thickness of the retina among Ghanaians differs not only from those measured among individuals with European ancestry, but also from those obtained from African Americans. Normative retinal and choroidal parameters determined among individuals with African or European ancestry may not be sufficient to describe indigenous African populations.
Financial Disclosures
Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.
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