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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Senior Citizens Show No Eye Disease Concern Despite
Dramatic Increase
American Academy of Ophthalmology opens EyeSmart
education effort
Aug. 1, 2007 - While Americans age 65 and over are
the most at-risk population for eye disease, only 10 percent believe
they are personally at risk and more than a third of those in this age
group do not even get annual eye examinations, according to a new
survey. Age-related eye diseases including cataracts, diabetic
retinopathy, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration are expected
to dramatically increase by 65 percent - from 28 million today to 43
million by the year 2020.
Left untreated, these diseases can cause serious
vision loss and blindness.
At the heart of this upsurge lie America's 78
million baby boomers, who will increasingly face the effects of eye
diseases as they get older. Despite these statistics, Americans remain
relatively unconcerned about vision loss.
A new national health survey of 1,200 Americans
conducted for the American Academy of Ophthalmology finds that most
Americans are unaware of the risks associated with age-related eye
diseases and less than a quarter of Americans (23 percent) are very
concerned about losing their vision. A majority feel weight gain or
joint and back pain are of greater concern than vision loss.
The survey indicates that few Americans see
themselves truly at risk for eye disease and that populations most at
risk for developing eye disease are unaware of the factors that make
them susceptible.
Overall, most Americans rank blindness and vision
loss relatively low on their list of health concerns.
The survey, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner
Research, finds only 11 percent of Americans perceive themselves at high
risk for eye disease.
Another high-risk group, those with a family
history of eye disease, knows strikingly little about specific risk
factors and is no more likely to get screened than people without a
family history of eye disease.
Only 15 percent of all respondents were correctly
able to identify half or more factors from a list of risk factors for
age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy,
glaucoma and dry eye presented in the survey.
"The stark reality is that millions of people will
suffer significant vision loss and blindness because they don't know the
risks," said H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD, executive vice president of the
American Academy of Ophthalmology.
"We're taking action against this pending epidemic
by educating the American public on the steps they can take to prevent
vision loss and blindness."
To that end, the Academy, the world's largest
association of eye physicians and surgeons, is issuing a new eye disease
screening recommendation for aging adults and is launching a new public
initiative called EyeSmart(TM) to educate Americans about the risks they
face.
The Academy now recommends that adults with no
signs or risk factors for eye disease get a baseline eye disease
screening at age 40 -- the time when early signs of disease and changes
in vision may start to occur.
Based on the results of the initial screening, an
ophthalmologist will prescribe the necessary intervals for follow-up
exams. For individuals at any age with symptoms of or at risk for eye
disease, such as those with a family history of eye disease, diabetes or
high blood pressure, the Academy recommends that individuals see their
ophthalmologist to determine how frequently their eyes should be
examined.
"Much like regular mammograms and diabetes
screenings, eye disease screening will help identify signs of disease at
an early stage, when many treatments can have the greatest impact," said
Dr. Hoskins.
The new recommendation does not replace regular
visits to the ophthalmologist to treat ongoing disease or injuries, or
vision examinations for eye glasses or contact lenses.
EyeSmart will support the Academy's new eye health
recommendations by empowering individuals and families to take charge of
their eye health. The Academy is partnering with EyeCare America(R), a
public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of
Ophthalmology, on the effort.
"With EyeSmart, age-related eye disease will no
longer be a question mark in the minds of the American public," said
Richard P. Mills, MD, MPH, chairman of EyeCare America. "The campaign
allows all Americans to get informed about age-related eye disease,
understand their risks and take action."
EyeSmart draws upon the combined resources of the
Academy, state and local ophthalmology societies and other partners to
deliver critical information on age-related eye diseases through
multiple health information channels, including doctors' offices and
grassroots networks. The EyeSmart Web site,
http://www.geteyesmart.org/, delivers eye disease and risk
information and a searchable database of local ophthalmologists.
In order to impact the chief health care decision
makers of American families, EyeSmart will focus on reaching women over
40. These women are more likely to serve as caregivers for their own
families and increasingly their aging parents, and they frequently act
upon and share with friends and loved ones positive health care
information.
EyeSmart also aims to reach people who don't
traditionally consider themselves at risk, such as individuals who do
not wear glasses or contacts. The survey revealed that 96 percent of
individuals without glasses or contacts do not think they are at high
risk for eye disease. Wearing glasses or contacts has no impact on
contracting age-related eye diseases.
"The fact is that everyone is at risk. More than
half of all Americans will have some form of eye disease as they get
older," Dr. Hoskins said. "We believe that if Americans know their
risks, they will take the steps necessary to maintain good eye health.
We want Americans to get EyeSmart to help reduce severe vision loss and
blindness."
Editor's Notes:
For an executive summary of the survey and more
information on specific age-related eye diseases, visit
http://www.geteyesmart.org/.
About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
The Academy is the world's largest association of
eye physicians and surgeons -- Eye M.D.s -- with more than 27,000
members worldwide. Eye healthcare is provided by three sources --
opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist,
or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and
perform eye surgery. To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the
Academy's Web site at
http://www.aao.org/.
About EyeCare America
Established in 1985, EyeCare America, a public
service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of
Ophthalmology, is committed to the preservation of sight, accomplishing
its mission through public service and education. EyeCare America
provides eye care services to the medically underserved and for those at
increased risk for eye disease through its corps of 7,200 volunteer
ophthalmologists dedicated to serving their communities.
More than 90 percent of the care made available
is provided at no out-of- pocket cost to the patients. EyeCare America
includes programs for seniors, glaucoma, diabetes, AMD and children, and
is the largest program of its kind in American medicine. Since its
inception, EyeCare America has helped more than 860,000 people. EyeCare
America is a non-profit program whose success is made possible through
charitable contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations.
More information can be found at:
http://www.eyecareamerica.org/
Americans, Eye Health, and Eye Disease National
Survey, Greenberg, Quinlan & Rosner Research Inc., June, 2007. Telephone
survey of 1,200 adults. Margin of error +/- 2.8 percentage points.
The Eye Disease Prevalence Research Group, Cause
and Prevalence of Visual Impairment Among Adults in the United States,
Archives in Ophthalmology 2004;122;477-485.
Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology
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