Abstract: Objective To determine prevalence and causes of visual field loss (VFL) as determined by frequency doubling perimetry in elderly Chinese. Design Population-based cross-sectional study. Participants 4 439 participants inhabited in certain rural villages or urban communities of greater Beijing were enrolled. Methods Detailed ophthalmic examinations and questionaire were applied. Visual field was assessed by frequency doubling threshold perimetry. An abnormal visual field was defined as at least one test location of reduced sensitivity. Main Outcome Measures Prevalence of visual field defects and their causes. Results Of the 4 439 persons examined, 4 350 (98.0%) subjects (8 617 eyes) provided measurement data by frequency doubling perimetry.  In subjects aged 40 to 49 years, most frequent cause for VFL was degenerative myopia followed by glaucoma, other optic nerve diseases, and cataract. In the subjects aged 60 to 69 years, most frequent cause for VFL was cataract, followed by glaucoma and degenerative myopia. In the subjects aged 70+ years, most frequent cause for VFL was glaucoma, followed by cataract and degenerative myopia. VFL was significantly associated with age (P<0.001), myopic refractive error (P<0.001), rural region (P=0.001), low level of education (P=0.01), degree of nuclear cataract (P<0.001), and intraocular pressure (P<0.001). Conclusions Degenerative myopia, cataract and glaucoma were the most common causes for visual field defect in adult Chinese. (Ophthalmol CHN, 2012, 21: 29-33)

Key words:  Visual field loss, visual impairment, low vision, blindness, myopia, refractive error, cataract, glaucoma