Oct 10 2007, 9:51 AM EST
News source: Business Wire
At the 2007 American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Annual Meeting in Boston last month, Alcon, Inc. (NYSE:ACL), the world's largest eye care company, joined with the nation's leading volunteer eye health organization, Prevent Blindness America, to educate Baby Boomers about practical approaches to maintaining healthy eyes and good vision. As part of their commitment to promoting quality vision health, Alcon and Prevent Blindness America facilitated more than 400 complimentary eye screenings testing visual acuity and visual field. Alcon also sponsored several informational presentations about glaucoma, cataracts and dry eye featuring leading ophthalmologists. In addition, the partnering groups encouraged meeting attendees to speak with onsite physicians about specific eye health concerns and offered educational literature and product samples.
According to a 2002 study conducted by Prevent Blindness America, it is estimated that more than 3.4 million older Americans are legally blind, with the prevalence of blindness or visual impairment increasing rapidly after the age of 75. Many of these cases could have been prevented if aging Americans took a more proactive approach to their overall eye health.
"Alcon and Prevent Blindness America's support of free screenings and eye health educational programs at the AARP Annual Meeting was an important public service. This was a valuable step towards increasing awareness about vision health in the older population," said Paul Schacknow, M.D., Ph.D., chief of Glaucoma Services, Visual Health and Surgical Center, and clinical associate professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology, Nova Southeastern University. "As this generation continues to age, it is imperative that they get examined regularly and learn when they might be at risk. It was a great opportunity to participate in the glaucoma screening and to meet and interact with the people who were screened and answer their questions."
In addition to Dr. Schacknow, several other doctors attended the AARP Annual Meeting on behalf of Alcon, including:
-- Jane Bachman, O.D., F.A.A.O., adjunct clinical faculty, Medical College of Wisconsin.
-- Elyse Chaglasaian, O.D., F.A.A.O., associate professor of optometry, Illinois College of Optometry, and Midwest Refractive Surgery & Cornea Consulting, Hoffman Estates, IL.
-- Robert Kupsc, O.D., Nielsen Eye Center.
-- Kenneth Lebow, O.D., F.A.A.O.
-- Steven A. Nielsen, M.D., president of the Nielsen Eye Center, assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology, Tufts University School of Medicine.
-- James Pasternack, M.D., assistant professor, University of Connecticut, clinical instructor, Yale University.
-- Clark Springs, M.D., assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine.
During the course of the meeting, Alcon surveyed people being screened and other visitors to its booth to find out what their greatest concerns were with respect to their eyes and vision. Among the most frequently noted concerns were:
-- Contact lens solutions and dryness.
-- Dry eyes and therapies to soothe or cure ocular dryness.
-- Latest technologies in intraocular lenses, specifically for presbyopia and astigmatism.
-- New treatments for macular degeneration.
-- Ocular vitamins and specific brands.
-- Therapies for eye diseases common in the Baby Boomer audience, such as glaucoma, cataracts and dry eye.
-- Vision loss from glaucoma and the latest surgical techniques.
"By partnering with Prevent Blindness America and eye care professionals from around the country, we were
ADVERTISEMENT
INTERVIEW:
NEW PROGNOSTIC GENETIC TEST FOR ADOLESCENT SCOLIOSIS - Interview with Dr. Baron Lonner, director of Scoliosis and Spine Associates
...MORE
NewsArticles BlogsADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe to RSS
Email
Print
Share
More News
Listen
Save
Comment
View All