The extensive report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Health and Medicine Division (NASEM) and co-sponsored by Prevent Blindness, provides detail on the scope of vision problems, barriers to eye health, and system-wide issues that are prevalent in the United States. It presents recommended population health strategies which will reduce vision impairment and promote eye health, in an effort to slow a projected doubling of chronic vision impairment by 2050.

Prevalence of Adult Vision Impairment and Age-Related Eye Disease in the U.S. Visit Our New Online Vision Problems in the U.S. Report (2012 Edition) For a searchable database of the Latest Prevalence Estimates for Age-Related Eye Disease.

The Economic Impact of Vision Problems: The Toll of Major Adult Eye Disorders, Visual Impairment and Blindness on the U.S. Economy This report describes the economic burden of the leading age-related eye diseases: age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and refractive error. It also looks at the economic impact of vision impairment and blindness.

Through 2050, the prevalence and costs of vision problems are set to grow at an alarming rate, fueled by demographic shifts including the aging of the baby-boomer population, extraordinary increases in the population in the oldest age groups, and the growth of minority populations.

These reports provide information about the state of eye and vision health in the United States and identify national, state and local challenges and opportunities for public health approaches to vision care.

This report brings together information about the scope of the problem, national and state-level policy changes, and efforts to build comprehensive systems to promote vision and eye health. Recent research provides new estimates of the prevalence of vision disorders among U.S. children and new knowledge about factors affecting risk and access to needed services. Nationally, the Affordable Care Act has expanded access to vision insurance coverage, while state-level initiatives have strengthened vision screening and eye health programs.