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Octogenarians currently make up 8 percent of the population, but they account for 69 percent of blindness.2 Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) accounts for 54 percent of all blindness and is the leading cause of blindness among white Americans.2 Cataracts are the most prevalent eye disease in older persons and are the leading cause of blindness worldwide.3 Almost all persons in their 90s will have had a cataract, and one half will have had cataract surgery.4 Cataract surgery is the most common therapeutic surgical procedure reimbursed by Medicare, with more than 1.5 million operations performed annually.3,4 Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of new blindness in U.S. adults 20 to 74 years of age.5 Low vision ranks behind arthritis and heart disease as the third most common chronic cause of impaired function in persons older than 70 years.6 Patients with vision impairment are more likely to fall, make medication errors, have depression, or report social isolation.7 With rehabilitation, many patients with impaired vision can attain independence, retain their jobs, and lessen their reliance on social services and institutions. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study showed that patients with intermediate AMD or advanced AMD in one eye but not the other have a 25 percent lower risk of developing advanced AMD and a 19 percent lower risk of developing vision loss caused by advanced AMD when treated with a high-dose regimen (five to 15 times the Dietary Reference Intake) of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, and zinc; there was less benefit when using zinc or antioxidants alone.13 Patients without AMD and those with early AMD did not benefit from supplementation.13 Other strategies include control of vascular disease risk factors, exercise to increase circulation, and sunglasses for UV light protection.21 Because disease progression is common in patients with mild to moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy without macular edema, repeat examinations every six to 12 months are suggested.