Big Increase in Macular Degeneration in the United States

CHICAGO, June 2012 — Since 2000, the number of people age 50 and older with late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has climbed by 25 percent, to 2,069,403.

This startling increase was documented in “Vision Problems in the U.S.,” a report released by Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute and compiled by researchers from Johns Hopkins University.

Download these new statistics on age-related macular degeneration, myopia, cataracts, glaucoma and other vision problems.

The report showed large increases in other vision conditions, too. Diabetic retinopathy, for example, has risen a whopping 89 percent in people aged 40 and older. For open-angle glaucoma and cataracts, the increases were 22 percent and 19 percent. And 23 percent more people 40 and older are blind or visually impaired.

A new searchable database lets you research the new statistics on AMD, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, myopia, hyperopia, blindness and vision impairment. You can search by state, age, gender and race; and you can obtain comparisons across vision problems.

Researchers are also looking at the costs of these vision problems to our health care system and our society. A report of their economic impact will be available soon.