Why do Latinos Go Blind?

In four separate reports, researchers from the Los Angeles Latino study provide the four-year incidence of blindness and visual impairment, cataract and diabetic retinopathy among Hispanics living in Los Angeles, a population consisting of people of predominantly Mexican origin. The four-year incidence of diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, and clinically significant macular edema, was 34 percent, 5.4 percent, and 7.2 percent respectively. Overall, nearly 3 percent of Latinos developed visual impairment and 0.3 percent developed blindness in both eyes, with older adults impacted more frequently. Latinos were more likely to develop cataracts in the center of the lens (10.2 percent) than the edge of the lens (7.5 percent). However, they had low rates of early and late AMD. American Journal of Ophthalmology, May 2010.* Elise Ervin Staff Writer