Studies Open Eyes To Failing Sight
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday March 9, 1993
One in five people over age of 40 do nothing about their failing vision, according to one of Australia's first population-based studies into urban eye diseases.
Professor Hugh Taylor, of University of Melbourne's Ophthalmology Department, said last night that it was now apparent that many people affected by eye disease were not linking up to resources that could help them.
Of 1,000 people tested so far (there is 3,000 target), 75 per cent had noticed significant change in their vision, and 20 per cent of these people had done nothing about seeking help.
"A number of people assumed it's normal to lose their vision as they get old. That may have been the case 50 years ago, but that's not the case now,"he said, adding that "96 to 98 per cent of blindness is preventable".
The preliminary findings of a second study into urban eye diseases, also presented yesterday to the Cataracts 93 conference in Melbourne, has found that between the age of 50 and 80, the chance of developing significant cataracts rises from 6 per cent to 80 per cent.
Professor Paul Mitchell, of the Ophthalmology Department of the University of Sydney and the Save Sight Institute, said that it was the first time such statistics had been collated in Australia.
The study, being conducted in the Blue Mountains on 3,500 people over 50 years
old, is due to be completed in June: since January last year 2,400 have been tested.
The study is focusing on the causes of three diseases - cataracts (the most common cause of reduced vision in Australia), macular degeneration (the most common cause of blindness) and glaucoma (also a common cause of blindness).
Professor Mitchell said that an unexpected finding was that older women were not being treated in equal numbers as men.
He said the rate of cataract surgery was higher for men than for women, although there was no significant difference in the risk of developing cataracts between men and women.
The conference continues today.
© 1993 Sydney Morning Herald