Presbyopia Prevalence Continues to Drive Eye Care Innovation

Major investments have been made to increase awareness of eye health through mass media campaigns, but cases of vision impairment continue to increase globally. Presbyopia, an age-related refractive condition, particularly emerges as a significant concern. It affects adults over 40 and is marked by a progressive decline in near vision. In presbyopia, the lens gradually loses its elasticity, which not only makes the lens thicker, harder, and less flexible but also impairs its ability to focus on nearby objects.

The diagnosis of presbyopia can widely vary based on how severe the visual problems are and when they occur, but functional presbyopia is the most common type. Compared to other types like absolute presbyopia, in which the eyes cannot focus on nearby objects at all, the declining near vision in functional presbyopia can still be restored through refractive correction. 

After adjusting for factors like age, sex, geographic location, socioeconomic status, and educational background, research published in the journal Contact Lens and Anterior Eye found that the global prevalence of functional presbyopia was 24.9% in 2015, affecting around 1.8 billion people. Due to an increasingly aging population, researchers also project presbyopia rates to reach 24.1% by 2030, impacting an estimated 2.1 billion people.

Since presbyopia makes the eyes work harder to focus on printed text and the details of objects, it can hinder near-work activities like reading, writing, sewing, and electronic use. This can ultimately affect productivity in livelihoods and the overall quality of life if left untreated. Thus, eye care markets like eyewear and contact lenses continue to grow to cater to the growing demographic of presbyopia patients in need of vision correction. Rising presbyopia rates are also compelling researchers and companies to innovate new therapies and treatments, which this article will also discuss.

Latest eye care innovations to treat and manage presbyopia

Growing accessibility of reading glasses online

Considering reading glasses are the most common form of presbyopia intervention, eyewear brands and retailers have been making an effort to make the corrective eyewear more accessible through e-commerce. The broader selection in online retail also makes it easier for presbyopia patients to find the right pair to suit their refractive needs.

The leading US retailer Readers.com offers not only single-vision readers but also bifocal glasses and sunglasses, which conveniently combine two prescriptions to help consumers seamlessly adjust between near and distant vision. In addition to choosing from lightweight styles like the half-rim Polk glasses and the tinted cat-eye Vale frames, customers have the option to select the right magnification power for the lenses and lens insertions.

Development of specialty contact lenses

Contact lenses are increasingly becoming a common option for treating presbyopia due to their convenience and ease of use. This trend is especially facilitated by the development of specialty contact lenses, which are specifically designed to correct presbyopia instead of making patients rely on single-vision contact lenses for hyperopia.

Notable examples include Alcon’s TOTAL30 Multifocal lenses, which enhance vision at near, intermediate, and far distances to optimize presbyopia patients’ focusing abilities. These lenses also provide optimal comfort through their hydrating Water Gradient design and material. However, the previously linked post also notes that the high price of premium lenses may be a barrier to making them more accessible for mass adoption.

Increasing options for presbyopia eye drops

In addition to using corrective eyewear, middle-aged and older adults may consider using therapeutics like eye drops to treat and manage presbyopia. Presbyopia eye drops work by constricting the pupils and increasing the natural depth of field, while also avoiding a myopic shift that affects distant vision.

Presbyopia patients now have an increasing number of options for eye drops with rapid onset, sufficient duration, and no side effects. These include the FDA-approved Vuity by Allergan and Qlosi by Orasis Pharmaceuticals, which both utilize the miotic effects of pilocarpine to enhance the eye’s ability to focus on nearby objects.

New pain-free surgical treatments

Though more expensive than the previously mentioned interventions, surgical treatments present themselves as a more lasting solution for presbyopia correction. These treatments include refractive surgeries that change the natural shape of the cornea to improve close-up vision. One of the latest surgical treatments with high success rates is PresbyMAX, a quick and precise procedure that extends the natural depth of focus in the non-dominant eye and ultimately restores sharp vision in presbyopes without cataract. The surgery takes around 15 minutes and is relatively pain-free since it uses SCHWIND AMARIS eye laser systems for a minimally invasive method of sculpting the cornea without having to touch or alter the sensitive lens of the eye.

Although there are ongoing innovations to expand the treatment and management options for presbyopia, key players in the eye care sector must ensure that these treatments are accessible and affordable to truly contribute to equitable eye health outcomes at a population level.