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Î The recommended frequency for adult comprehensive medical eye
examinations for asymptomatic patients, and for patients who do not
have risk factors for eye disease, is as follows:
• <40 years: every 5–10 years
• 40–54 years: every 2–4 years
• 55–65 years: every 1–3 years
• >65 years: every 1–2 years (M, S)
Î The first recommended adult comprehensive medical eye examination,
and subsequent frequency of examination for patients who have
diabetes mellitus, varies depending on the type of diabetes and
whether a woman is pregnant. The recommendations are as follows:
• Type 1 diabetes mellitus – first examination 5 years after onset and yearly
afterwards
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus – first examination at the time of diagnosis and yearly
afterwards
• For women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes – first examination prior to conception
and then early in the first trimester of pregnancy
(Note: Women who develop gestational diabetes do not require an eye examination
during pregnancy, and they do not appear to be at increased risk for developing
diabetic retinopathy during pregnancy.)
• Interval recommendations thereafter will be based on findings at first examination
(M, S)
Î Recommended frequency of comprehensive medical eye examinations
for adults who have risk factors for glaucoma, such as African
Americans and Hispanics, by age group is as follows:
• <40 years: every 1–2 years
• 40–54 years: every 1–3 years
• ≥55: every 1–2 years (M, S)
