The Ocular Nutrition Society released the results of a study of baby boomers.  This wave of mature adults has already started reaching age 65 and is right in the risk category for macular degeneration.

The study showed that 55% of baby boomers worry about vision loss - almost as much as they worry about heart disease (60%) and cancer (65%).

Almost half of those surveyed said they don't usually get an eye exam annually.  Their worry doesn't seem to prompt them to see an eye doctor, unfortunately. Additionally, though we now know that diet can play an important role in developing macular degeneration,  fewer than half of the respondents were aware of this fact.

According to Jeffrey Anshel, OD, FAAO, "If people are at risk for heart disease they typically make lifestyle modifications. This survey found that people are as concerned about their eyes but do not know the simple steps they need to incorporate into their daily lives to take care of them."  Dr. Anshel is President of the Ocular Nutrition Society, which worked with Bausch + Lomb on the study.

The National Eye Institute is currently researching three nutrients and their effect on macular degeneration:  lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3.  These ingredients are part of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) research.

Yet, the survey just released showed that almost 60% of those responding were not aware of the role of omega-3 (fish oil); two-thirds were not aware of the role of lutein (a very troubling statistic) and 9 out of 10 were not aware of the role of zeaxanthin.

Clearly, more education is needed for this group of people who are at a high risk for eye disease because of their age.  You can read the press release on this study here.

November 2011