Eye ExamsAre Easy-To- Keep New Year’s Resolution (NAPSA)—Every year, approximately 115 million of us make New Year’s resolutions. These resolutions allow us to see where we can improveover the next year. For the 76 million baby boomers in the U.S., one important (and easy to keep) New Year’s resolution is scheduling regular eye exams. Regular eye exams help detect age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts, which often have no warning signs. Early detection can be key to identifying and treating these eye diseases. Macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindnessfor people over the age of 50, affects more than 13 million people in the U.S., more than cataracts or glaucoma. Still a little-known disease—twothirds of Americansare not famil- iar with it—macular degeneration causes loss of central vision, affecting daily activities like recognizing faces, driving a car, reading and watchingtelevision. Resolutions are best kept if you share them with family or write them down, referring to them regularly. So be sure to make eye exams a New Year’s resolution for the whole family and post your 2003 eye exam schedule on your refrigerator as a gift to yourself. For more information about macular degeneration or to receive an eye exam pledge card, visit www.amdfacts.com or call 800- AMD.-4636. For information on other eye diseases or conditionsvisit www.novartisophthalmics.com/us.
