By: Kaleb Abbott, OD, MS, FAAO, FOWNS & Julie Poteet, OD, MS, CNS, FOWNS
Learn how optometrists can educate patients on and leverage nutrition to improve short- and long-term ocular health and patient care.
The shift toward preventive eye health
There is a growing focus on preventive and lifestyle-based healthcare, fueled by patients’ increasing interest in nutrition, supplements, and wellness strategies. This represents a shift from reactive disease management to proactive wellness.
Watch this video for a quick overview of how nutrition is playing a bigger role in supporting ocular health and patient care. Nutrition’s Role in Preventative Eyecare
Currently, 88% of Americans view eye health as critical to overall health, and 47% consider vision loss the worst possible health condition they could experience.1 Nutrition is now recognized as an important, modifiable factor in eye health, providing eyecare providers (ECPs) with the opportunity to engage in evidence-based discussions.
Nutrition as a foundational component of eye health
Poor dietary habits are a leading global risk factor for death and disability and have links to chronic inflammation, immune dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, and neurological disorders.2,3
The prevalence of eye conditions is expected to continue to increase, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by ~50 million and glaucoma by ~20 million from 2020 to 2030.4 About 50% of the global adult population reports dry eye, which means symptoms and prevalence will continue to rise.5,6
Read more & watch the video: Nutrition’s Role in Preventative Eyecare
Source: eyes on EYECARE