Five vision topics added to NIH Senior Health site         

[JULY 18, 2005]  BETHESDA, Md. -- Eye diseases and conditions leading to vision loss increase significantly with age, and the number of people with vision loss is expected to rise as the population grows older. To help older adults learn more about these conditions and vision loss, the NIH Senior Health website is adding five new topics on vision: glaucoma, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and low vision. Accurate, up-to-date information about these conditions is only a mouse-click away at http://nihseniorhealth.gov.

Glaucoma, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and low vision are common in older Americans.

While glaucoma can strike anyone, the risk for this eye disease, which can damage the optic nerve and result in vision loss and blindness, is much greater for people over age 60.

Cataract surgery is one of the most common surgeries done in the U.S. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.

Age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older, affects the part of the retina that allows you to see fine detail and blurs the sharp central vision needed for straight-ahead activities such as reading, sewing and driving.

One in every 12 people with diabetes age 40 and older has vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness.

People age 65 and older, as well as African-Americans and Hispanics over age 45, are at higher risk for low vision, which makes reading the mail, shopping, cooking, watching TV and other everyday tasks difficult.

Links to vision topics at http://nihseniorhealth.gov:

• Age-related macular degeneration

• Cataracts

• Diabetic retinopathy

• Glaucoma

• Low vision

"Low vision and blindness can lead to loss of independence and reduced quality of life for older Americans," says Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Eye Institute, which developed the content for the vision topics on the website. "Older Americans now can turn to NIH Senior Health to learn more about prevention, early detection and treatment of eye diseases. The website's special features, including various large-print type sizes, open-captioned videos and an audio version, are especially useful to those who already suffer from vision loss."

For more information about the National Institutes of Health and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

[National Institutes of Health news release]