Americans are Frustrated by Unexpected Blurry Near Vision Issues, a New Survey Reveals

- 65% of respondents said they were not prepared to have their eyesight worsen as they got older

- Allergan launches BlurryNearVision.com to educate people about a type of near vision issue called presbyopia, an age-related condition that reduces the eye's ability to focus on things up close

News provided by

AbbVie

Sep 27, 2021, 08:30 ET

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- From texting mishaps to lost reading glasses, the impact of age-related blurry near vision, or difficulty seeing things up close, on daily life can be pervasive. People who struggle with this may have presbyopia, which affects most adults over 40. It's a common and progressive eye condition that reduces the eye's ability to focus on things up close and can create a lot of frustration for those experiencing it.

Despite the high prevalence of near vision issues like presbyopia, these challenges can still come as a surprise to people with difficulty seeing up close. In fact, according to a recent survey commissioned by Allergan, an AbbVie company, of 1,000 adults ages 40 – 55 who reported having near vision issues, 65% of survey respondents said that they were not prepared to have their eyesight worsen as they got older, and a quarter admitted they were in denial that their near vision was getting worse.

"While most people have not heard of the medical term for age-related blurry near vision, presbyopia is a natural part of aging and affects approximately 128 million adults in the U.S.," said optometrist Dr. Selina McGee, Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. "The survey results reinforce what I hear from patients with near vision issues in my practice every day – that these challenges are increasingly frustrating, and impact their daily lives, especially when they are looking at their cell phones, reading, or trying to see a menu in a dimly lit restaurant."

In a year filled with Zoom calls and virtual gatherings, 84% of survey respondents reported that it was more frustrating to have blurry near vision when trying to read than having a video call freeze. There are options available to manage near vision issues, but they can come with challenges of their own. Over half of those surveyed with reading glasses (51%) admitted they lose or misplace them at least once a week; and over a quarter (26%) said they lose them daily. Additionally, for many adults, blurry near vision may impact the activities they enjoy most. In fact, half of survey respondents admitted they decreased or gave up on a hobby because they could no longer see well up close.

People experiencing age-related blurry near vision should talk to an eye care professional (ECP) to learn more about presbyopia, which can be diagnosed through a basic eye exam. Additionally, individuals are invited to visit BlurryNearVision.com, a website from Allergan, offering information on presbyopia. The site features an interactive component that shows how people see text up close when they have presbyopia and a quiz to uncover how the condition could be affecting their daily lives. Visitors can use these tools as a starting point when talking to their ECPs about their symptoms.

About the Survey
The online Blurry Near Vision survey, commissioned by Allergan and conducted by Wakefield Research, was fielded from August 2 – August 9, 2021, to 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 40 – 55 who reported having near vision issues. It was not confirmed whether the respondents were diagnosed with presbyopia.

About Allergan Eye Care
As a leader in eye care, Allergan has discovered, developed, and delivered some of the most innovative products in the industry for more than 70 years. Allergan has launched over 125 eye care products and invested billions of dollars in treatments for the most prevalent eye conditions including glaucoma, ocular surface disease, and retinal diseases such as diabetic macular edema and retinal vein occlusion.

About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements
Some statements in this news release are, or may be considered, forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, failure to realize the expected benefits from AbbVie's acquisition of Allergan plc ("Allergan"), failure to promptly and effectively integrate Allergan's businesses, competition from other products, challenges to intellectual property, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry and the impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics, such as COVID-19. Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of AbbVie's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as updated by its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. AbbVie undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

SOURCE AbbVie