(www.PreserveMacForte.com) A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrates that the number of Americans who are suffering vision-loss issues stemming from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma is climbing, according to The Huffington Post.
The article cited researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as saying that, “if the current finding becomes a persisting trend,” the end result could be more cases of disability in the U.S. This would include more people with “end-organ diabetic damage who would require ophthalmic care,” added the researchers behind the study.
According to the article, the study was based on the findings from, firstly, 9,471 people at least 20 years old who were included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that went from 1999 to 2002 and, secondly, 10,480 people at least 2o years old who were included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that went form 2005 to 2008.
According to the article, researchers discovered a 21% boost in visual impairments of the non-refractive kind between 1999 and 2002 and between 2005 and 2008. The article explained that non-refractive visual impairments refer to cases that are not the result of farsightedness, astigmatism and nearsightedness. The article noted that 1.4% of people were living with these types of visual impairments between 1999 and 2002 while 1.7% were living with these types of visual impairments between 2005 and 2008.
According to the article, white non-Hispanic people who were 20 to 39 years of age had an increase of 40% in visual impairments of the non-refractive sort.
According to the article, researchers discovered that factors including diabetes, minimal education levels and poverty are linked to these types of visual impairments.
While there is no known cure for AMD, there are things people can do either to reduce their risks of being diagnosed or to slow down the progression of the eye aliment. Eating plenty of leafy green vegetables, fruits and seafood with omega-3 fatty acids is known to promote good eye health. Avoiding harmful things such as smoking cigarettes, obesity and high blood pressure will also benefit the eyes. Also important is getting regular eye tests from a qualified eye care professional.