Blind boomers.Vastag B. Blindness increasing in aging. JAMA JAMA abbr. Journal of the American Medical Association 2002;287:1930. More than 1 million middle-aged and elderly Americans are blind, and another 2.4 million are visually impaired, and these numbers could double in the next 30 years as baby boomers age toward retirement. These findings were reported by the National Eye Institute and Prevent Blindness America. The four most common eye diseases are diabetic retinopathy diabetic retinopathy n. Retinal changes occurring in long-term diabetes and characterized by punctate hemorrhages, microaneurysms, and sharply defined waxy exudates. , age-related macular degeneration Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) Degeneration of the macula (the central part of the retina where the rods and cones are most dense) that leads to loss of central vision in people over 60. , cataract, and glaucoma. Diabetic retinopathy progression, which affects 5.3 million Americans 18 years of age and older, can be slowed with the use of laser photocoagulation photocoagulation /pho·to·co·ag·u·la·tion/ (-ko-ag?u-la´shun) condensation of protein material by the controlled use of an intense beam of light (e.g. and by controlling blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Laser surgery is also used to treat age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in older Americans. |
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