Statistics That Will Open Your Eyes
Layman’s Definition: Glaucoma is a painless progressive loss of peripheral and night vision leading to a tunnel of vision and/or blindness.
- 9% of people over the age of 75 have Glaucoma
- 20% of people with Glaucoma are under the age of 50
- 25% of people with “normal” eye pressure have Glaucoma
- 59% of people with variable but “normal” eye pressure have Glaucoma
- females are twice as likely as males to have Glaucoma
- you have a 9 fold greater risk for Glaucoma if you have a parent or sibling with Glaucoma
- you have a 4 fold greater risk for Glaucoma if you have a blood relative with Glaucoma
- persons of Asian decent (especially females) over the age of 40 have the highest risk of having Glaucoma
- persons of African decent are 4 times as likely as Caucasians to have Glaucoma
- persons of Hispanic decent over the age of 40 have the fastest rate of Glaucoma progression
There is no cure for Glaucoma. Early detection leads to early treatment to slow down the rate of progression of Glaucoma.
New technologies can detect Glaucoma six years earlier than traditional testing techniques and are more accurate than traditional testing techniques.
You can request advanced testing for Glaucoma with GDX and OCT technology even if your eye doctor does not specifically ask you to have these tests done.
Your best defense if a good offence with advanced testing before a suspicion for Glaucoma arises.
Layman’s Definition: The macula is a small spot (about the size of a pinhead) inside of your eye where all light comes to focus. Macular degeneration destroys the architecture of this tiny spot and causes an irreversible loss of central vision.
- 5% of persons over the age of 50 will have AMD
- 20% of persons aged 65 to 74 will have AMD
- 35% of persons aged 75 to 84 will have AMD
- women over age 75 are 2.2X as likely as men to have AMD
- you have a 15% greater risk if you parent has AMD
- smokers are 2X as likely to have AMD than non smokers
- smokers are 7X as likely to have advanced (neovascular) AMD
- former smokers are 3X as likely to have advanced (neovascular) AMD
- persons with cataracts are 1.3X more likely to have AMD
- AMD-like disease is also found in highly myopic eyes(Rx>-8.00)
- AMD-like disease is also found in 8% of retinal detachment patients
- AMD-like disease is also found in in diabetics.
- AREDS formula vitamins reduce your risk of AMD by 25%
- Aspirin reduces your risk of advanced (neovacular)AMD by 40%
- Statin drugs reduced your risk of advanced (neovascular)AMD by 50%
There is no cure for Macular Degeneration. Early detection leads to early treatment to slow down the rate of progression of Macular Degeneration.
New technologies can detect Macular Degeneration earlier than traditional testing techniques.
You can request advanced testing with OCT technology even if you eye doctor does not specifically ask you to have this test done.
Your best defense is a good offence with advanced testing before a suspicion for Macular Degeneration arises.
Layman’s Definition: Diabetes can lead to many changes inside of the eye from pin point bleeding, to large hemorrhages, to scarring and detaching of the retina inside of your eyes.
- 6% of the population has Diabetes
- 10% of Canadians over age 65 are Diabetic
- 18% of Americans over age 65 are Diabetic
- Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults age 25 to 75
- Diabetics are 25X more likely to go blind than non Diabetics
- 45% of Diabetics have eye damage (retinopathy)
- 15% of Diabetics have some vision loss
- Compared to Caucasians
- First Nations persons are 2.5X as likely to be Diabetic
- Persons of Latin decent are 2X as likely to be Diabetic
- Persons of African decent are 1.7X as likely to be Diabetic
- After 20 years of being Diabetic
- 100% of Type 1 Diabetics have eye damage (retinopathy)
- 67% of Type 2 Diabetics have eye damage (retinopathy)
- 50% of Type 1 Diabetics have advanced eye damage (neoV)
- 10% of Type 2 Diabetics have advanced eye damage (neoV)
- high risk individuals can lower their risk of Type 2 Diabetes by 58% if they lose 5% to 7% of their body weight through diet and exercise
There is no cure for Diabetes. Early detection leads to early treatment and reduces the risk for loss of sight due to Diabetic Eye Disease.
New technologies can detect Diabetic Eye Disease earlier than traditional testing techniques.
You can request advanced testing for Diabetic eye Disease with OCT technology even if your eye doctor does not specifically ask you to have this test done.
Your best defense is a good offence with advanced testing before observable Diabetic Eye Disease arise.
Copyright G.S. Komarnicky 2006. All rights reserved.