Issue 97 Item 13 Cases of Blindness Expected to Double

The number of blind or visually impaired Americans is likely to double over the next 30 years as the giant baby boom generation ages, the National Eye Institute reported ;ast week. Currently, more than 1 million Americans are blind and another 2.4 million suffer some vision impairment, according to the report, "Vision Problems in the U.S."

"Disturbingly, the number of Americans with age-related eye disease and the vision impairment that results is expected to double over the next three decades," according to the report, prepared in conjunction with Prevent Blindness America.

Dr. David S. Friedman, lead author of the report said: "The bottom line is, if nothing is done and we just go on the way we’re going now, we’re going to have a massive increase in the number of visually impaired and blind in America,"

Friedman says, "The demographics of the U.S. is such that one would expect very large increases."

Indeed the millions of baby boomers born between 1946 and 1965 are now in the age group where vision problems become increasing evident. The study lists four primary threats:

Diabetic retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes in which blood vessels in the retina break, leak or become blocked, impairing vision over time. It affects nearly half of all people with diabetes to some extent and risk increases with age. There are approximately 5.3 million Americans currently affected.

Age-related macular degeneration currently affects 1.6 million Americans. It primarily affects the part of the retina responsible for sharp central vision. There are two forms of this disease, called dry AMD and wet AMD. AMD is the most common cause of legal blindness and vision impairment in older Americans.

Research indicates a combination of zinc, beta-carotene and vitamins C and E may also reduce the risk of advanced AMD by 25 percent.

Cataract, which is a clouding of the eye’s naturally clear lens. Most cataracts appear with advancing age, but there are additional factors, such as smoking, diabetes and excessive exposure to sunlight.

Surgical treatment can eliminate vision loss due to the disease, but cataracts still account for a significant amount of vision impairment in the United States.

Glaucoma, a disease that causes gradual damage to the optic nerve that carries visual information from the eye to the brain. Because the loss of vision is not noticed until a significant amount of nerve damage has occurred, as many as half of all people with glaucoma are unaware of it. About 2.2 million Americans age 40 and older have been diagnosed with glaucoma.