Fully 86% Of Those With An Existing Eye Disease Do Not Get Yearly Eye Exams.

In the first of two columns devoted to vision loss, the New York Times (12/21, D2, Brody) reports in "Personal Health" that a "nationwide survey (conducted Sept. 8 through 12 by Harris Interactive) showed that only a small minority of those most at risk get the yearly eye exams that could detect loss of vision and prevent, delay or even reverse its progression." Amazingly, "fully 86 percent of those who already have an eye disease do not get recommended exams, the telephone survey of 1,004 adults revealed." The Times notes that "the survey was commissioned by Lighthouse International, the world-renowned nonprofit organization in New York that seeks to prevent vision loss and treats those affected."
According to the New York Times (12/20, Barrow) "Well" blog, "Poor vision can lead to job loss, social difficulties, and the pain and cost of falls and accidents." The blog entry quoted Mark G. Ackermann, Lighthouse's president, who "emphasized that our rapidly aging population predicts a rising prevalence of sight-robbing diseases like age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy that will leave 'some 61 million Americans at high risk of serious vision loss.'"