(NAPSA)—According to a national survey, Americans dread blindness more than any other disability. This fear may become a reality for many aging Americans since more than 50 percentof all individuals with severe vision problems are age 65 or older. The leading cause of blindness in those over 65 is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a retinal disease that causes the progressive loss of central vision. Approximately 21 million Americansare at risk for developing AMD. Certain factors may increase therisk of developing the disease, including age, gender, diet, smoking, sun exposure and family medical history. Those affected do not feel pain or discomfort, but typically have varying degrees of blurry vision or see straight lines as curved or distorted. Eventually, those affected will not be able to see faces of family and friends. While there is no cure for AMD, new research is providing hope. The results of a 10-year landmark study conducted by the National Eye Institute (NED, a division of the National Institutes of Health, are encouraging. Researchers found that a special formulation of high-potency vitamins and minerals helped preserve sight by reducing the risk of progression to advanced AMDby 25 percent and reducing the risk of associated vision loss by 19 percent. Bausch & Lomb Ocuvite PreserVision™ was the one and only high-potency eye vitamin and mineral supplement tested, and clinically proven effective, in the NEI’s Age-Related Eye Disease (ARED) study. According to Michael J. Cooney, M.D., director of the Duke University Center for Macular Degeneration, “Only the unique highpotency antioxidant and zinc ——— HopeFor 21 Million Seniors In The Fight Against Vision Loss +b, VW,fe € Wh. LES A\'| | A new kind of vitamin may help prevent a common eye disease that robs seniors of sight. formula tested in the NEI’s AgeRelated Eye Disease study was clinically proven to slow the progression of (dry) AMD and the associated vision loss among patients with more advanced formsof the disease.” AMDcanstrike in two forms: dry AMD and wet AMD. Dry AMD tends to develop and spread slowly in one eye to the other eye, affecting about 90 percent of those with the disease. Wet AMD only affects 10 percent of those with the disease, but its rapid progression is responsible for 90 percent of the severe vision loss associated with the condition. Eye care professionals can detect AMD during an eye exam that includes pupil dilation. Visit your eye care professional for regularly scheduled eye exams and further information. A free 16-page booklet about AMDandinformation about the Ocuvite PreserVision™ eye vita- min, is available by visiting www. bausch.com or by calling 1-866HOPE-AMD.
