Americans Spend Billions of Dollars Every Year on Glasses and Contact Lenses

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the 66.4 percent increase in myopia in Americans since the 1970s, as reported in the recent National Eye Institute (NEI) study, is significant and will impact healthcare costs as well as vision quality.

Today, 47 million Americans aged 20 and older are myopic and billions of dollars are spent annually on glasses and contact lenses. In addition, the majority of LASIK and related refractive surgical procedures in the United States are performed to correct myopia. A clearer understanding of the factors driving this rise is needed so that appropriate measures can be taken.