NIH: Incidence of blindness expected to double by 2050

The number of people with visual impairment or blindness in the U.S. is expected to double to more than 8 million by 2050, according to projections based on the most recent census data and from studies funded by the National Eye Institute.

According to the NIH, another 16.4 million Americans are expected to have difficulty seeing due to correctable refractive errors such as myopia or hyperopia.

The researchers estimated that 1 million Americans were legally blind in 2015.

Over the next 35 years, researcher Rohit Varma, MD, and colleagues project that the number of people with legal blindness will increase by 21% each decade to 2 million by 2050. In addition, best-corrected visual impairment will grow by 25% each decade, doubling to 6.95 million. They said that the greatest burden of visual impairment and blindness will affect those 80 years or older, as advanced age is a key risk for diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and cataract, according to the release.

Non-Hispanic whites, particularly white women, represent the largest proportion of people affected by visual impairment and blindness, and their numbers will double.

Blacks currently account for the second highest proportion of visual impairment, which is expected to shift to Hispanics around 2040, as the Hispanic population continues to grow.

They estimate blacks will continue to account for the second highest proportion of blindness.