The following brief article from today's edition of AOA Today points out the connection between low income and vision loss.  The problems listed are all blinding diseases and in most cases can be treated successfully.  Note that the CDC points out the importance of regular eye exams for early detection. 

Leading The News Report: Severe Vision Loss Most Prevalent In The South. The AP  (5/22, Stobbe) reports that a report  published May 22 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report finds that “the South was home to three-quarters of the US counties with the highest prevalence of severe vision loss.” There are also “higher rates of poverty, diabetes and chronic disease” in the South, and “health officials believe those problems are all related to the vision loss.”         The NPR  (5/22, Shute) “Shots” blog reports that “cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration are the most common causes of vision loss in adults.” However, “regular eye exams would identify problems early on, before people start losing vision, the report notes.”