of Work: Deterioration of vision is a common problem in the elderly and in recent studies has been demonstrated to be an independent and important contributor to physical disability and frailty. Age associated loss of vision can result from aging and from age-associated pathology. The natural history of vision loss has not been well studied in relationship to the development of eye and other pathology and the differentiation between normal visual aging and pathological changes in vision. During the reporting period, data collection for a laboratory based assessment of visual contrast sensitivity was completed. A study of the relationship between intraocular pressure and systemic blood pressure was begun in July 1994. The goal of the study is to identify possible racial and sex differences in blood pressure/intraocular pressure relationships and the effect of the relationship on vision as measured by changes in visual field sensitivity. The major finding was that there is a modest correlation between intraocular pressure and impaired visual field test results. Impaired visual fields occur frequently in the absence of high intraocular pressure; moreover, intraocular and systemic blood pressure are modestly correlated. Unless the intraocular pressures are high, e.g., over 23 mm hg, the best screening for visual field impairment is the visual fields test itself.
