Survey: Baby boomers worried about vision but lax in eye care

SAN DIEGO — The Ocular Nutrition Society has release data from a survey conducted to determine how baby boomers feel about vision loss, according to a society press release.

The data received showed that 78% of baby boomers rank vision as the most important of the five senses, with more than half (55%) of respondents indicating that they worry about vision loss — almost as much as they worry about heart disease (60%) and cancer (65%) — yet almost half of respondents said they do not typically undergo annual eye exams, the release said.

Even fewer are aware of important nutrients that play a key role in eye health.

“We wanted to gain an understanding of how active boomers are about maintaining their eyes as they age and what they knew about overall eye health. If people are at risk for heart disease they typically make lifestyle modifications,” Ocular Nutrition Society President Jeffrey Anshel, OD, FAAO, said in the release. “This survey found that people are as concerned about their eyes but do not know the simple steps they need to incorporate into their daily lives to take care of them.”

For more detailed information about the survey, visit www.helpprotecteyehealth.com.