Macular pigment optical density in healthy eyes of Filipino adults

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the range of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) levels in healthy Filipino adults using both the MPS II and the macuscope and to investigate whether age and sex were related to inter-subject variations in MPOD. METHODS: This was a prospective, cross sectional study of 168 healthy Filipino patients who underwent heterochromic filter photometry to measure macular pigment levels using the MPS II and the macuscope. The MPOD levels were averaged per age group and analyzed as to variations among age and gender.RESULTS: One hundred thirty (130) and thirty-eight (38) patients underwent MPS II and macuscope testing respectively. The mean MPOD level for MPS II was 0.39(±0.16) and for macuscope 0.27(±0.07). MPOD values were similar across all age groups and gender, but they were lower when measured with the macuscope.CONCLUSIONS: MPOD levels measured among healthy Filipino adults were lower with the macuscope compared to the MPS II. These differences should take into consideration the differences in apparatus and techniques of measurement.