In examining the 3.3 million Americans ages 40 and older who are blind or visually impaired, researchers have found some striking differences in the causes, especially in relation to race and ethnicity. A recent study examining the prevalence estimates of visual impairment found that the leading cause of blindness in whites over age 40 is age-related macular degeneration (54%), followed by cataracts (9%). In blacks over age 40, open-angle glaucoma and cataracts account for 60% of all blindness. And in Hispanics over age 40, open-angle glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness (although it should be noted that the sample size in the latter group was quite small [n = 4]). Causes of visual impairment were more evenly balanced: cataracts account for about half of all cases of low vision in whites, blacks, and Hispanics over age 40.
Given that the prevalence of visual impairment in the United States is expected to rise 70% by 2020, the researchers strongly encourage an enhanced public education campaign geared to preventing the vision loss associated with common disorders. -Richard Ferri, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Joy Jacobson, managing editor
Congdon N, et al., for the Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004;122:477-85.