October 10th is "Eye Care Day." Rohto Pharmaceutical's "Eye Frailty Survey" reveals
rapid changes starting in your 40s!
78% feel a decline in their eye health, and 52% may have eye frailty. For those in their 40s, don't ignore these changes in your eyes.
While "eye frailty" countermeasures are crucial for extending the lifespan of healthy eyes, awareness of eye frailty is only 19%.
October 7, 2024
ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka City, President: Masafumi Sugimoto) conducted a survey on "eye frailty," a decline in eye function due to aging that has been attracting attention in recent years, ahead of "Eye Care Day" on October 10th.
The results showed that the number of people who feel their eye health is declining due to aging increases sharply from their 40s onwards, with 78.2% of people in their 40s reporting this. Across a wide range of age groups, including those in their 40s, 79.5% of people seem to be experiencing changes in their lives, work, and physical and mental health, such as difficulty using PCs and smartphones, difficulty reading, headaches, stiff shoulders, and stress.
Furthermore, 83.8% of people in their 40s believe that a decline in eye health will lower their quality of life (QOL) and happiness. Reasons given for the decline in QOL included "it becomes difficult to go out" and "I lose motivation for everything."
Furthermore, 50.7% of the total population, or more than half, were at risk of eye frailty, with this figure rising to 52% among those in their 40s. While less than 30% of those under 30 were at risk, the figure increased sharply among those 40 and older. In contrast, the awareness rate of eye frailty was only 18.9%, which is less than one-fifth of the awareness rate for presbyopia (96.8%).
While the decline in eye health due to aging is widely recognized, awareness of eye frailty remains low. This highlights the current situation where many people feel that their eye health affects their quality of life, but appropriate measures are not being taken. Currently, only 43.1% of people visit an ophthalmologist at least once a year, but we recommend that you see an ophthalmologist as soon as you experience any eye problems.
Survey Summary
PART 1: Eye Health and Quality of Life
- 75.1% of people overall, and 78.2% of those in their 40s, feel that their eye health is declining due to aging.
- 79.5% of people reported changes in their lives due to declining eye health, including changes affecting their work and overall physical and mental health.
- 83.1% of people believe that a decline in eye health lowers their quality of life (QOL), and this figure rises to 83.8% among those in their 40s.
- Reasons cited for a decline in quality of life include "not wanting to do anything," "difficulty going out," and "loss of motivation."
PART 2: The percentage of people at risk of i-frailty
- 50.7% of people have symptoms that may indicate i-frailty, 52% of those in their 40s, and the incidence increases sharply from their 40s onwards.
- Only 46.2% of people are addressing symptoms that qualify as i-frailty, meaning the majority are not.
- Reasons for not taking action: "I've given up and accepted it as unavoidable," "I don't know how to deal with it."
- 75.1% of people overall, and 78.2% of those in their 40s, feel that their eye health is declining due to aging.
PART 3: Awareness of i-frailty
- The awareness rate for eye frailty is only 18.9%, which is less than one-fifth of the awareness rate for presbyopia (age-related farsightedness) at 96.8%.
PART 4: Commentary by ophthalmologist Dr. Hiratsuka
- The decline in eye health and function is rapidly increasing among people in their 40s.
- Early prevention and appropriate treatment of eye frailty are crucial for extending the lifespan of healthy eyes.
Please see the PDF for details.