Vision loss among the elderly is a major health care problem. Approximately one person in three has some form of vision-reducing eye disease by the age of 65. The most common causes of vision loss among the elderly are age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract and diabetic retinopathy. Age-related macular degeneration is characterized by the loss of central vision. Primary open-angle glaucoma results in optic nerve damage and visual field loss. Because this condition may initially be asymptomatic, regular screening examinations are recommended for elderly patients. Cataract is a common cause of vision impairment among the elderly, but surgery is often effective in restoring vision. Diabetic retinopathy may be observed in the elderly at the time of diagnosis or during the first few years of diabetes. Patients should undergo eye examinations with dilation when diabetes is diagnosed and annually thereafter.

Glaucoma comprises a group of disorders characterized by glaucomatous optic nerve damage and visual field loss. It is a significant cause of blindness and is the most common cause of blindness among black people. Many black people over 65 years of age have experienced loss of vision associated with glaucoma, and approximately 75 percent of persons who are legally blind because of glaucoma are over the age of 65.16 The most prevalent form of glaucoma is Primary Open-angle Glaucoma.

Primary Open-angle Glaucoma is responsible for approximately 10 percent of cases of blindness. Primary open-angle glaucoma affects men and women equally. Common factors associated with primary open-angle glaucoma include a family history of glaucoma, increasing age, high degree of Myopia, Hypertension and Diabetes.