In a finding that suggests more Americans than ever are struggling with their sight as they get older, researchers report that nearly 20 million adults have age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Broken down, about 18.3 million people aged 40 and up had an early stage of the condition in 2019, while almost 1.5 million people had late-stage AMD.

"There haven't been many new examin...

An off-brand medication for diabetic macular edema might prove just as effective in early treatment as its more expensive alternative, potentially saving patients thousands of dollars, new research suggests.

The vision condition is a common complication of poorly controlled diabetes, which can damage bl...

Untreated vision loss may put an older adult at an increased risk for dementia, though it's not clear why, according to a new study.

Researchers found that the likelihood of having some form of cognitive impairment was 137% higher in seniors who had trouble seeing than in those without vision issues. Cognitive impairment is a general term for problems with thinking and memory.

"Alt...

Poor eyesight makes it harder to read and easier to trip. But it can also lead to a misdiagnosis of mild mental decline in older people, according to a new, small study.

That can happen if someone's thinking abilities are assessed using vision-dependent tests, researchers explained.

They noted that as many as 1 in 4 people older than 50 have undiagnosed vision problems such as

Keeping your drinking and your weight in check can help protect your sight as you age, experts say.

Moderate to heavy drinking is associated with a higher risk of a sight-threatening condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A poor diet and excess weight can also influence your odds for AMD, the most common cause of blindness in Americans older than 50.

"We alrea...

Early diagnosis and care can often stop the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of vision loss in older Americans, the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) says.

As part of AMD Awareness Month in February, the society urges people to pay attention to their vision and learn more about AMD.

Age is the main risk factor for

Injection medications can save the vision of older people with macular degeneration, but the ongoing regimen is taxing. Now a preliminary study raises the possibility that some patients can safely be "weaned off" the treatment.

Researchers found that of just over 100 patients they treated with the eye injections, nearly one-third were able to "pause" the therapy within the first year. And...

Midlife vision problems could increase women's risk of depression, new research suggests.

Rates of eye problems and depression rise during midlife, but knowledge about how vision affects depression at that time has been limited. The new study identified a significant link between impaired vision and development of depression.

"Given that the combination of visual impairment and depr...

Diseases that can rob you of vision as you age also appear to be tied to an increased risk for dementia, a new study finds.

Specifically, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and diabetes-related eye disease were linked with a higher likelihood of dementia, researchers in China said. However, one other common eye ailment, glaucoma, was not linked to dementia risk.

The new stu...