Poor eyesight may cause a poorer quality of life than suffering from chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity and hypertension, according to a study conducted by researchers from the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Eye Research Institute.
The study combined data from three population-based eye studies and found that for every 100,000 people in Singapore, the burden for visual impairment was 512 healthy individuals dying every year, for the Chinese, 707 for Malays and 609 for Indians.
One explanation is that while chronic conditions can lead to life-threatening diseases without proper control and management, they are otherwise symptom-free. However, poor vision can affect the ability to conduct day-to-day tasks easily.
Assistant Professor Luo Nan from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, who is the study’s principal investigator, is also leading a team to study the economic costs of visual impairment, and said he hoped primary care doctors who treat patients with chronic diseases can also step in to treat visual impairment symptoms.
Media Coverage:
- The Sunday Times, 25 May 2014, Sunday