Study finds age-related eye disease on the rise

The number of Americans age 40 and older with vision impairment and blindness has increased by 23 percent since 2000, according to a study released this week by Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute. While this rise is not unexpected due to the aging U.S. population, researchers were surprised by the dramatic spike in diabetic retinopathy cases.
The 2012 update of Vision Problems in the U.S. was conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins University. It provides prevalence rates and estimates of age-related eye conditions. Other findings, compared to 2000, include:
-- A 25 percent increase in people age 50 and older who have late AMD, to 2.06 million;
-- A 19 percent increase in people age 40 and older who have cataracts, to 24.4 million;
-- A 22 percent increase in people age 40 and older who have open-angle glaucoma, to 2.7 million;
-- And an 89 percent increase in people age 40 and older who have diabetic retinopathy, to 7.7 million.
“It’s no surprise that the numbers of those affected by eye disease are continuing to climb, especially due to the aging Baby Boomer population,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America. “What is exceptionally concerning is the dramatic spike in diabetic retinopathy cases, a consequence of the diabetes epidemic that this country is experiencing with no end in sight.”