Western Laser Eye Associates | Dr. Anderson Penno

Monday, March 1, 2010

Nearsightedness On The Rise

A new study released from the National Eye Institute (NEI) shows that rates of myopia (nearsightedness) are on the rise amongst Americans. According to the researchers, the rates of myopia in people age 12 to 54 increased from 25 percent in 1971-72 to 41.6 percent in 1999-2004. The survey included people with mild to severe myopia.

The 66.4 percent increase in myopia in Americans since the 1970s, is significant and will impact healthcare costs as well as vision quality. Today, 47 million Americans aged 20 and older are myopic and billions of dollars are spent annually on glasses and contact lenses. In addition, the majority of LASIK and related refractive surgical procedures in the United States are performed to correct myopia. For more information about myopia visit: http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/correction/LASIK.cfm

This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeSmart™ campaign (www.geteyesmart.org).

More information is available at http://www.westernlasereye.com/ and in Dr. Anderson Penno's latest book "Laser Vision Correction: What You Need To Know" available at http://www.amazon.com/. To book your complimentary assessment call 403.547.9775.

posted by Western Laser Eye Staff at 9:32 PM