Macular Thickness and Associated Factors in African Immigrants: Insights from the Africans in America Study.
- 1Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- 2Section on Diabetes, Nutrition and Health, Diabetes, Endocrinology and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Abstract
Purpose
Normative optical coherence tomography (OCT) databases may not be generalizable to Africans, one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. Given the paucity of normative OCT data in Africans, we evaluated macular thickness in African immigrants.Patients and methods
This cross-sectional study analyzed African-born participants enrolled in the Africans in America Study. They underwent history, physical, oral glucose tolerance tests, hemoglobin electrophoresis, and macular OCT (Cirrus HD-OCT). In the primary analysis, multivariable linear regression excluding eyes with retinopathy, glaucoma, or ocular hypertension was used to evaluate the association between the central subfield thickness (CST) and demographic, clinical, and metabolic factors. In the secondary analysis, multivariable analysis was used to evaluate the association between macular layer thicknesses and prediabetes status (prediabetes vs normal glucose tolerance). P values less than 0.05 and false discovery rate (FDR) within 10% were considered significant.Results
Six hundred forty-three eyes of 330 participants (60% male; mean age: 40 ± 11 years) were analyzed. The mean CST thickness for the cohort was 238.53 ± 21.48 µm. On average, women had a lower CST than men [-10.51 µm, 95% confidence interval: (-15.75, -5.26), P < 0.001, FDR < 0.001]. No significant associations were found between prediabetes status and the thickness of any macular layer.Conclusion
These findings provide descriptive reference data on Cirrus-derived macular thickness measurements among African-born adults. Women had a lower CST, on average, than men. In contrast to prior studies, there was no difference in macular layer thicknesses between participants with prediabetes and those with normal glucose tolerance.
Related
- Visual and anatomical outcomes of full-thickness macular hole surgery and associated factors in selected hospitals in Tanzania
- Anatomic and Functional Recovery Following Surgical Repair of Full-Thickness Macular Hole in Choroideremia
- Correlation Between Central Macular Thickness and Visual Acuity After Vitrectomy and Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling
- Temporal inverted internal limiting membrane flap technique for a 500 μm full-thickness macular hole : A case report
- Baseline OCT Biomarkers and Early Outcomes After Idiopathic Full-Thickness Macular Hole Surgery: Associations with Primary Failure and Visual Acuity After Successful Closure
BibTeX
@article{prasad2026macular,
title = {{Macular Thickness and Associated Factors in African Immigrants: Insights from the Africans in America Study.}},
author = {Minali Prasad and Elvira Agrón and Thilaka Arunachalam and Souvick Mukherjee and Fares Siddig and Cameron Duic and Alisa T Thavikulwat and Tiarnán D L Keenan and Catherine Cukras and Grace G Smith and Christopher W DuBose and Emily Y Chew and Anne E Sumner},
journal = {Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2147/opth.s613672},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928890},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Macular Thickness and Associated Factors in African Immigrants: Insights from the Africans in America Study.
AU - Minali Prasad
AU - Elvira Agrón
AU - Thilaka Arunachalam
AU - Souvick Mukherjee
AU - Fares Siddig
AU - Cameron Duic
AU - Alisa T Thavikulwat
AU - Tiarnán D L Keenan
AU - Catherine Cukras
AU - Grace G Smith
AU - Christopher W DuBose
AU - Emily Y Chew
AU - Anne E Sumner
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.)
DO - 10.2147/opth.s613672
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928890
AB - Purpose Normative optical coherence tomography (OCT) databases may not be generalizable to Africans, one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. Given the paucity of normative OCT data in Africans, we evaluated macular thickness in African immigrants.Patients and methods This cross-sectional study analyzed African-born participants enrolled in the Africans in America Study. They underwent history, physical, oral glucose tolerance tests, hemoglobin electrophoresis, and macular OCT (Cirrus HD-OCT). In the primary analysis, multivariable linear regression excluding eyes with retinopathy, glaucoma, or ocular hypertension was used to evaluate the association between the central subfield thickness (CST) and demographic, clinical, and metabolic factors. In the secondary analysis, multivariable analysis was used to evaluate the association between macular layer thicknesses and prediabetes status (prediabetes vs normal glucose tolerance). P values less than 0.05 and false discovery rate (FDR) within 10% were considered significant.Results Six hundred forty-three eyes of 330 participants (60% male; mean age: 40 ± 11 years) were analyzed. The mean CST thickness for the cohort was 238.53 ± 21.48 µm. On average, women had a lower CST than men [-10.51 µm, 95% confidence interval: (-15.75, -5.26), P < 0.001, FDR < 0.001]. No significant associations were found between prediabetes status and the thickness of any macular layer.Conclusion These findings provide descriptive reference data on Cirrus-derived macular thickness measurements among African-born adults. Women had a lower CST, on average, than men. In contrast to prior studies, there was no difference in macular layer thicknesses between participants with prediabetes and those with normal glucose tolerance.
SN - 1177-5467
SN - 1177-5483
ER -