1 billion people with presbyopia: half a billion without glasses
In the developing world a massive number of people are prevented from completing a range of important tasks requiring the ability to see close objects because they do not have glasses and the impact on their lives is enormous.
All of us will experience deteriorating sight as we get older. By the age of 45, the lens in our eyes will start to lose its elasticity, affecting our ability to focus on near objects – usually meaning we need reading glasses. This is called presbyopia.
A comprehensive study, published in the December issue of the academic journal Archives of Ophthalmology, estimates that 1.04 billion people in the world experience vision impairment caused by presbyopia. The research, undertaken by Professor Brien Holden, CEO of the International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE), and colleagues, not only provides the first comprehensive global estimate of the extent of presbyopia.more
