Vision Loss
Many Americans suffer from vision impairment. As we age, vision loss becomes more of an issue. While some eye diseases cannot be prevented, there are others that you have more control over. The Alliance has many helpful resources available on age-related macular degeneration. You can find more information on other diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma by visiting the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research’s website.Visit our VISION HEALTH RESOURCE GUIDE
Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, causes vision loss in the central field of vision and is one of the leading causes of lost independence for people over the age of 60.
The Alliance has developed a number of resources for patients that answer many of the commonly asked questions about AMD; and for health care professionals, that offer information on prevention, detection, and treatment.
Visit the AMD Health Corner to learn more about AMD.
Related Publications
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The Silver Book: Vision Loss Volume II
March 2012 | Alliance for Aging Research
Related topics: Access to Breakthroughs Health Medical Innovation Policy Research Vision LossMore than 38 million Americans age 40 and older are blind, visually impaired, or have an age-related eye disease, and adult vision loss costs our economy more than $51 billion a year. While for the most part we have not seen the number of Americans impacted by these eye diseases decrease since the release of Volume I, we have seen exciting new treatments decrease their burden. The use of anti-VEGFs to treat AMD, supplements for prevention, and combined statin treatment to slow progression of diabetic retinopathy, are just a few of the innovations that are bringing hope to millions of Americans. The Alliance for Aging Research and the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research believe that this resource will showcase that value and enrich the national debate on health care and research funding.
Visit to view all of the data in a searchable format. -
Science in the SpotlightUnder Treatment of a Treatable Disease: T.A.K.E. on Glaucoma
An estimated 2.3 million Americans are living with glaucoma and because it is a disease of aging, that number is expected to climb during this decade—surpassing 3.3 million by 2020—a 50% increase. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that are associated with elevated eye pressure that can damage the optic nerve and cause vision loss. That vision loss can usually be prevented with early detection and proper treatment and disease management, yet glaucoma continues to be one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S. -
Alliance in the NewsAlliance Releases Updated Silver Book®:Vision Loss
On March 7, the Alliance for Eye and Vission Research (AEVR) joined with the Alliance for Aging Research (AAR) and the glaucoma community in releasing The Silver Book®: Vision Loss Volume II during the 2012 World Glaucoma Week Congressional Briefing entitled Glaucoma: Blindness Incidence and Progress Towards Individualized Treatments.
The Silver Book®: Vision Loss Volume II presents the latest data on the significant health and economic burden of age-related eye diseases and demonstrates the potential for innovative treatments emerging from research. AAR President and CEO Daniel Perry noted that this edition contains 150 “insights” from 80 different research sources, adding that “it is testimony to the progress of research that there are already enough new data to warrant an update since the initial vision loss edition was released in September 2007.” He emphasized that AAR’s series of Silver Books on various age-related diseases facilitate policymakers’ discussions about healthcare delivery and research spending priorities, especially important as the nation faces the “Silver Tsunami” of 10,000 citizens a day turning age 65 between years 2011 and 2029.To view the entire AEVR article, click here.
