Study: Proper Eye Care Improves Seniors’ Survival Chances
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — The importance of good eyesight can never be overstated, but the sad truth is that when people get past age 65, there is often a noticeable decline in vision, no matter how well they’ve taken care of their eyes.
Purdue University researchers are also adding their own warnings about the degradation of vision in the elderly, saying that it’s associated with poorer chances of living a longer life.
Lead study author Sharon Christ and her team looked at 2,500 people ages 65 and 84 to make their observations about fading eyesight and overall survival.
Without proving a definitive cause-and-effect, Christ says when the elderly have problems seeing, it cuts down on basic daily tasks such as housework and shopping.
Due to that handicap, their risk of death rose three percent per year for all eight years of the study.
Yet, people can take simple steps to slow down dimming eyesight, including primary prevention of visual impairment, early detection of disabling eye disease and proper fitting of glasses and contact lenses.
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