Background: We assessed the effects of aging on visual function and optical quality in a healthy adult population and provide reference values for different age ranges. Methods: We conducted a prospective study with 198 healthy volunteers from31 to 70 years of age. The visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity (CS) at 3, 6, 12 and 18cycles per degree (cpd) frequencies were assessed, together with values of optical quality and intraocular scatter- ing obtained with a double-pass system(Optical Quality Analysis System– OQAS), specifically the modulation transfer function cutoff frequency (MTFcutoff), the Strehl ratio, the OQAS values (OV) at contrasts of 100, 20 and nine per cent and the objective scatter index (OSI). We studied the change of these variables with age and obtained standard values for optical quality and intraocular scattering parameters for four age groups: 31 to 40, 41 to 50, 51 to 60 and 61 to 70 years. Results: We found significant correlations between age and all variables analysed and signifi- cant differences among the age groups considered except for CS (3 cpd) (p= 0.067). Ageing particularly affected low-contrast parameters, such as theOV nine per cent and theOSI, which decreased to 37 and 50 per cent of their original values, respectively.TheOSIwas found to pro- vide high sensitivity and specificity values, when healthy and caratactous eyes were considered. The results suggest that optical deficits are compensated until 50 years of age with sensory and perceptual factors, as smaller changes were found for visual function than for objective mea- surements of optical quality and intraocular scattering. Conclusions: Measures of optical quality assessed by subjective psychophysical and objective techniques varied differently with age. Values obtained for each age group can be used to de- termine normal limits of optical quality and intraocular scattering for diagnosis of ocular conditions.