Americans with Cataracts to Increase More Than 80% by 2050

The number of Americans with cataracts will increase to 38.5 million in the next 16 years and jump to 45.6 million by 2050, representing a jump of more than 80%, according to the Prevent Blindness “Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Costs of Vision Problems. The World Health Organization reports that cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world. Read more. 

South Carolina House and Senate Override the Governor's Veto of Legislation Banning Online Eye Exams

The South Carolina House voted to override Gov. Nikki Haley's veto of a bill banning the practice of offering prescriptions for lenses and contact lenses after an online exam. The original legislation banning the practiced was passed 100-1 last month. "Chicago-based Opternative launched its online service in South Carolina and dozens of other states nationwide last summer. CEO and founder Aaron Dallek said the company has hundreds of customers in South Carolina," reports the Kansas City Star. "Opternative offers $40 to $60 prescriptions — depending on whether customers want a single prescription for glasses or contacts, or a prescription for both — within 24 hours for people ages 18 to 45 with a computer and smartphone. Customers taking the test are asked to take a certain number of steps away from their computer screen, depending on their shoe size, and use the computer like a digital eye chart. A text message sent to a customer's smartphone allows it to be used as a remote control. Answers to multiple questions, along with medical records, are sent to a state-licensed ophthalmologist contracted by the company. Inconsistencies mean a prescription won't be written, Dallek said." Read more.

Visual Impairment Skyrockets as Boomers Age

"With the youngest of the baby boomers hitting 65 by 2029, the number of people with visual impairment or blindness in the United States 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, part of the National Institutes of Health. Another 16.4 million Americans are expected to have difficulty seeing due to correctable refractive errors such as myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness) that can be fixed with glasses, contacts or surgery." That's the start of a press release from NEI. Approximately, "1 million Americans were legally blind (20/200 vision or worse) in 2015. Having 20/200 vision means that for clear vision, you would have to be 20 feet or closer to an object that a person with normal vision could see from 200 feet away. Meanwhile, 3.2 million Americans had visual impairment in 2015—meaning they had 20/40 or worse vision with best possible correction. Another 8.2 million had vision problems due to uncorrected refractive error."

 The researchers were led by Rohit Varma, M.D., director of the University of Southern California’s Roski Eye Institute, Los Angeles, led the researchers, and JAMA Ophthalmology published the results just this week (May 19th).
Read more.

Choo Extends Licensing Agreement with Safilo

"Safilo Group and Jimmy Choo have announced the early renewal and extension of their eyewear licence agreement," according to the Moodie Davitt Report. "The deal has been extended to 31 December 2023 and covers the design, manufacture and distribution of the Jimmy Choo eyewear collection. The new agreement has also been expanded to include a men’s eyewear collection. Slated for January 2018, the first Jimmy Choo men’s capsule edition will debut in the brand’s boutiques and a worldwide selection of leading optical stores." Read more.

Poor UV Filtration in Car Windows the Cause of Left-Eye Cataracts?

"An analysis of the ultraviolet A (UV-A) light protection in the front windshields and side windows of automobiles finds that protection was consistently high in the front windshields while lower and highly variable in side windows, findings that may in part explain the reported increased rates of cataract in left eyes and left-sided facial skin cancer, according to a new study." That's the summation from Science Daily. Read more.

Subconcussive Impacts Affect Football Players Vision

"In a study that included 29 NCAA football players, repetitive subconcussive impacts were associated with changes in near point of convergence (NPC) ocular-motor function among players in the higher-impact group, although NPC was normalized after a 3-week rest period, according to a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology," notes Medical News Today. "The NPC measures the closest point to which one can maintain convergence (simultaneous inward movement of eyes toward each other) while focusing on an object before diplopia (double vision) occurs." Read more.

Get Your Scrips and Glasses Online--Without an OD

Opternative founders Aaron Dallek and Steven Lee, OD.

"The eyeglass prescription process is the latest health care service to be disrupted — and now optometrists are waging an all-out war against a startup that lets people do vision tests without looking away from their laptops," goes the Buzz Feed posting. "Less than a year ago, Opternative, a Chicago startup, began serving customers through its website. In that time, optometrist lobbying groups have successfully backed legislation that bans the company’s ability to operate in five states, including Georgia as of yesterday. Last month, the American Optometric Association complained to the Food and Drug Administration that the company’s service should be taken off the market and studied because it is allegedly operating without federal approval. In the same breath, the group likened startups like Opternative to the 'corporate equivalents of snake oil salesmen.'" Read more.

Vision Monday reported a few days ago: "Organized optometry won the latest round in its fight against online refraction when lawmakers in the state of Georgia enacted legislation last week which makes it illegal to issue a contact lens or spectacle prescription without an in-person, comprehensive eye exam conducted by a state-licensed practitioner." Read more.

Hugo Boss Helps Consumers Explore Light and Shadow

"German fashion label Hugo Boss is transporting consumers to Santiago, Chile to explore the variations in light and shadow," according to a Luxury Daily post. "Boss eyewear’s 'Master the Light' campaign for spring/summer 2016 acts as a cinematic tour of the city, as models Clément Chabernaud and Rianne van Rompaey roam through some of Santiago’s modern architecture. Inviting consumers with them for the journey, Hugo Boss filmed a 360-degree video capturing the behind-the-scenes atmosphere in the South American locale." Read more.  You can read more about the Boss line here (movie is the same).

Cazal, Celebrates Being on Middle Age's Cusp

"It was a room of who’s who in the Flatiron District in Manhattan for the Cazal Eyewear 40th Anniversary celebration," notes the Huffington Post. "The eyewear line worn by some of the biggest stars on the planet, like Beyonce and Jay-Z who have plenty of times been spotted courtside at NBA games or out and about wearing the luxury eye brand. The setting was LimeLight Studios and it was filled with a number of celebrities who partied to latest tunes but also got to take in forty years of Cazal history." Read more.

'Marie Claire' Teams with Safilo to Market Sunglasses

"Women’s magazine Marie Claire is changing the conversation around sunglasses through a partnership with eyewear manufacturer Safilo," reports Luxury Daily. "#GetFramed puts a spotlight on the accessory category poised for growth, communicating the idea that consumers should have frames to complement each type of outfit and that sunglasses should be bought with each new season along with other wardrobe updates. Creating a link between content and commerce, the program includes mobile integration, where consumers can virtually try on and purchase eyewear from Safilo licensed brands including Dior, Givenchy and Jimmy Choo." Read more.

Elie Tahari to Launch Eyewear Line This Summer

"Elie Tahari will launch eyewear this summer. The New York-based brand will deliver an assortment of optical designs to select retailers beginning this June," reports WWD. "The brand has partnered with licensing firm Colors in Optics Ltd., which also produces eyewear for Moschino, Missoni and Vince. Designs — which will retail from $185 to $285 — are handmade and have been crafted in an array of colors and fabrications." Read more.

New Device Helps with Low Vision

"A miniature camera using optical character-recognition technology, mounted onto the eyeglasses of people who are considered legally blind, dramatically improves their ability to read an email, newspaper article, menu or page in a book, a study by researchers with UC Davis Health System has found," according to Science Daily. "Using the device the study participants were significantly better able to perform activities of daily living. The device recognizes text and reads it to the user using an earpiece that transmits sound, and can also be programmed to recognize faces and commercial products." Read more. 

Google Seeks Patent for Eye Insert to Improve Vision

"Google has a penchant for far-out tech that never reaches the market. The latest is a method of injecting a device into an eyeball, mostly as a means to correct poor vision. Described in a patent application dated April 28, 2016, the device is injected in fluid that then solidifies to couple the device with the eye’s lens capsule, the transparent membrane surrounding the lens. Injection would take place 'following the removal of the natural lens from the lens capsule,' the patent reads, starts a Forbes magazine post. The planned device injected into the eye contains a number of tiny components: storage, sensors, radio, battery and an electronic lens. The eyeball device gets power wirelessly from an “energy harvesting antenna.” The patent describes what looks like an external device to interface with the eyeball computer. The two will communicate through a radio and the ”interface device” contains the processor to do the necessary computing." Read more.

Fendi Hooks Up with Spotify to Sell Eyewear Online

"On Fendi’s ecommerce site, consumers are invited to 'listen to music with fresh eyes,' as they first pick a track from Couer de Pirate that best reflects their mood," reports Luxury Daily. "For instance, picking the song 'Golden Baby' will bring up a Spotify playlist that includes pieces such as Tyga’s 'Hard for You,' 'Yellow Submarine' from The Beatles and 'Lemon Tree' by Fool’s Garden. Once they have listened to the playlist, consumers can click to discover their Eyeshine, which brings up product information and the opportunity to shop online." Read more.

Clément Chabernaud Models Hugo Boss's New Line

"Luxury fashion house Hugo Boss have been extremely busy this year and as a result of their efforts, they have just launched the new ‘Master the Light’ collection featuring model Clément Chabernaud," writes D'Marge. "The pieces feature some very smart designs that resonate the modern and chic approach that Boss is using to differentiate their pieces from the crowded market. The classic frames feature a host of new materials, textures and hues to satisfy the most discerning tastes. Star pieces to keep an eye on in the range are the Clubmaster and Rectangular series sunglasses which use finishings such as woodgrain and carbon fibre to stand out." Read more.

Anti-VEGF's Improve Helps Patients with AMD Sustain Vision

In a study of nearly 650 people with the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), half still had vision 20/40 or better, typically good enough to drive or to read standard print, after five years of treatment with anti-VEGF drugs that are injected into the eye. The authors of the study, funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) at the National Institutes of Health, say those outcomes would have been unimaginable about 10 years ago, prior to the drugs’ availability. Read more.

NEI Funds Assessment of Eye Care Needs of Chinese Americans and Latinos

In an effort to understand the eye care needs of different ethnic groups, the National Eye Institute has funded studies by the University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute.

Its researchers and clinicians recently "published results of the largest population-based study of adult Latinos and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the National Eye Institute-funded 'Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES).' The study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, is the first to analyze the risk and prevalence of early and late stage AMD and its impact on quality of life for older Latinos," according to Science Daily. "The LALES study, conducted among 4,876 Latinos in Los Angeles with a mean age cohort of 54.8 years old, indicates that Latinos diagnosed with bilateral AMD with large drusen (the lipids or fatty proteins that are yellow deposits under the retina) and depigmentation as well as a more severe AMD had a substantially lower health-related quality of life as compared to those with AMD lesions in only one eye. In addition, the findings point to a more significant health-related quality of life decline beginning in early rather than later stages of the disease." Read more.

Chinese Americans
A month earlier the Roski Eye Institute released a similar study about Chinese Americans and its "findings, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, point to critical interventions in the prevention and treatment of blinding eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy (DR), among Chinese Americans," reports Science Daily. "Key findings of the CHES study point to a higher percentage (85 percent) of neovascular or "wet" AMD than geographic atrophy or "dry" AMD (15 percent). This is almost the opposite of what has been found in whites or other ethnic groups who typically have the same percentage of AMD types or higher prevalence of dry AMD. The study also found the prevalence of AMD is higher among Chinese Americans as compared to the Chinese population living in urban/rural China, suggesting the influence of environmental or behavioral factors should be considered. According to the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, AMD is the leading cause of vision loss affecting more than 2 million Americans. Primarily affecting central vision, the two types of AMD refers most often to those who receive a diagnosis after age 60." Read more.

Kayne West Turns Browi Eyes Blue

Kanye West’s 2016 Met Gala look was a must-see!," writes Extra TV. "The rapper, who attended alongside wife Kim Kardashian, wore a bedazzled Balmain jacket, white t-shirt, jeans and suede boots to the black tie affair. He completed the look with a dramatic pair of icy blue contact lenses." Read more.