New Study Identifies More People with Vision Loss and Blindness Than Previously Estimated

In a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology today, “Prevalence of Visual Acuity Loss or Blindness in the US,” researchers estimate permanent vision loss and blindness in Americans of all ages, including people younger than 40 years old, and adults in group quarters, such as nursing homes or jails.  Researchers found more than 7 million people are living with uncorrectable vision loss, including more than 1 million Americans who are living with blindness.

“What makes this study different than previous national estimates of vision loss and blindness is that the methods we used allowed for a broader analysis of populations in the United States than were previously included,” said David B. Rein, Ph.D., Program Area Director for NORC at the University of Chicago’s Public Health Analytics Program and one of the study’s co-authors. “While the addition of these various age groups is partially responsible for the increase, the growth in the number of older Americans has also contributed to more people with vision loss and blindness in the United States than previously estimated.”

Additional findings from the study include:

• Of those living with vision loss and blindness in the United States, nearly 1 in 4 are under the age of 40.
• More than 1.6 million Americans who are living with vision loss or blindness are under the age of 40.
• Of them, 141,000 are blind, 13% of all people with blindness in the U.S.
• 358,000 people with vision loss and blindness are living in group quarters, such as nursing homes or jails.
• Of them 130,000 are living with blindness, representing nearly 12% of people living with blindness.
• In the United States:
• 20% of all people aged 85 and older experience permanent vision loss.
• More females than males experience permanent vision loss or blindness.
• There is a higher risk of vision loss among Hispanic/Latino and Black people than among Whites.

“Prevalence of Visual Acuity Loss or Blindness in the US,” was authored by researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington (Seattle), NORC at the University of Chicago (NORC), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vision Health Initiative, with support from Prevent Blindness.