Changes in Visual Acuity in a Population Over a 15-year Period: The Beaver Dam Eye Study

These data provide population-based estimates of the cumulative 15-year incidence of loss of vision over a wide spectrum of ages. In people 75 years of age or older the cumulative incidence of visual impairment accounting for the competing risk of death is 25%, of which 4% is severe, indicating a public health problem of considerable proportions as the US population in this age is expected to increase by 55% from 18 million in the year 2005 to 28 million by the year 2025.