Presbyopia to impact more than 2 billion people worldwide by 2020, Alcon forecasts

Fort Worth, TX-Eyecare professionals (ECPs) can expect to see a spike in the increase in the number of patients experiencing vision issues due to presbyopia, cautioned Alcon in a report issued recently.

Presbyopia affects nearly 1.7 billion people worldwide today, and that number is expected to soar to 2.1 billion by 2020. In the U.S., this population is expected to grow from nearly 111 million to approximately 123 million by 2020, representing an increase of more than 36% of the population within the next 7 years, Alcon said. Therefore, ECPs must be prepared to educate patients about the condition, the need for treatment to correct presbyopia, and what vision correction options are available.

“Conveying that there is no need to compromise vision acuity, comfort, convenience or even appearance is an important first step in empathizing with patients, and helping them understand what vision correction options are available,” said Roy Kline, OD, who practices in Glen Falls, NY.

“Patients rely on us to recommend a solution that corrects their vision issue,” said Victoria Dzurinko, OD, FAAO, of Downington, PA. “It is important that we explain to each presbyopic patient that our ultimate goal when recommending a vision correction option is to balance their visual needs from distance to near.”ODT