Most people think of vision as coming in two forms: good or bad. However, with Americans now living significantly longer lives, vision loss, or “low vision”, from eye conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy has become a huge issue among people of all ages.
QUICK FACTS:
- An estimated 25.2 million adult Americans reported they either “have trouble” seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, or that they are blind or unable to see at all. (National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Provisional Report, 2008)
- Currently, about 314 million people worldwide live with visual impairment due to eye diseases or uncorrected refractive errors. Of these, 45 million are blind and 135 million have low vision (World Health Organization’s Prevention of Avoidable Blindness and Visual Impairment Report, Dec.2008).
- The number of Americans who report some form of visual impairment is expected to double by 2030 as the aging population brings rising rates of macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases (National Eye Institute, 2006).
- Twice as many women as men in the United States are diagnosed with vision-threatening eye diseases every year, but the numbers are increasing for both genders as the baby boomer generation enters its golden years (National Eye Institute, April, 2008).
- The most common eye diseases among Americans age 40 and over are age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy (National Eye Institute. Nov. 2008).
- Glaucoma is almost three times more common among African Americans then among whites. In addition, the prevalence of glaucoma rises rapidly in Hispanics over the age of 65 (National Eye Institute. Nov. 2008).
- Cataracts are the leading cause of low vision among Americans, responsible for about 50 percent of all low vision cases. The number of adults 40 years and older in the U.S. affected by cataracts is projected to increase from 20.5 million in 2008 to 30.1 million in 2020 (National Eye Institute. Nov. 2008).
- Vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy affects one in every 12 people who are 40 and older with diabetes (National Eye Institute. Nov. 2008).
**For more statistics, visit Get Involved – Awareness