Minorities at Greater Risk for Visual Impairments

Graph from the Centers for Disease Control

Studies by Transitions Optical and Prevent Blindness America indicate that African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans are at a higher than necessary risk for serious vision impairments or blindness. The first report from PBA indicates that during the past decade, visual impairment or blindness has been on the rise. That increase includes an 89-percent rise in the number of vision conditions related to diabetes, which stem from the national diabetic epidemic in general. It's also probably connected to the greater number of culturally diverse individuals living in the U.S., who are at higher risk for the disease. Despite a higher risk for health and vision issues, the second study supported by Transitions Optical suggests that culturally diverse groups have lower awareness of the need for preventative care. Surprisingly, two out of three Americans do not know that their ethnicity is a risk factor for developing eye health issues. Read more.