January 2021
Dear NEHEP Partners, 

Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States. But many people with glaucoma don’t know they have it — which is why we’re using this edition of the Eye Health Connection newsletter to spread the word.

This Glaucoma Awareness Month, we’re featuring events and resources to keep you up to date with the latest developments in glaucoma care — and to help you find resources to share with people in your community.

We’re also pleased to welcome Michael Chiang, M.D. as NEI’s new director. We’re excited to continue pursuing our mission to advance vision research and education under his leadership!

Best,
Maria Zacharias
Director of Communications
National Eye Institute
Check out NEI's glaucoma resources
Looking for resources that you can use to raise awareness about glaucoma? Browse NEI’s outreach materials library to find resources that help you do it — like the Facts About Glaucoma handout. You can download, print, and share all of these materials with people in your community.
Learn about the link between vision problems and dementia
A growing number of studies link vision problems with people’s risk for dementia — but there haven’t been many long-term studies looking closely at the connection. To better understand this link, the National Institute on Aging analyzed data on older women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) — and found that having impaired vision may increase your risk for dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
Connect glaucoma patients to helpful resources and support through a new platform from Prevent Blindness
The Glaucoma Community is a website and app for patients with glaucoma, created by Prevent Blindness and Responsum Health. The new platform offers members a personalized newsfeed, a chat feature that lets glaucoma patients connect with one another, and a secure form that patients can use to easily store, share, and download their key medical information.
Learn about common adult eye diseases with NRTC’s online course
Looking to expand your knowledge of common eye diseases? This course from the National Research & Training Center (NRTC) on Blindness & Low Vision includes information about the causes, symptoms, treatment, and prognosis of many eye conditions — including glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. 
Calendar of Events
Mark your calendar for Glaucoma 360
Join the Glaucoma Research Foundation for Glaucoma 360 — a 3-day series of events uniting research, industry, and philanthropy to prevent vision loss from glaucoma and speed the cure. These virtual events — held on January 23, 29, and 30 — explore the latest advances in glaucoma care from professionals across a wide range of industries.
Other Events and Resources
January 26 – 28, 2021: The Vision Council is hosting their 2021 Executive Summit to spotlight industry updates within the vision care community
February 9, 2021: NEI is hosting a talk by Dr. Levi Todd as part of the new Vision Innovation Seminars
Ongoing: The American Society of Retina Specialists’s podcast Retina Health for Life provides consumers with critical information about the signs, symptoms, and risk factors of retina disease
Ongoing: Lighthouse Guild’s On Tech & Vision with Dr. Cal Roberts podcast explores how technology can improve the lives of people with vision loss
Resource: Combat COVID is a new website from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that helps members of the public and doctors find information about COVID-19, how to join a COVID-19 clinical trial, and how to donate plasma
Resource: The Glaucoma Foundation’s webinar with Delaram Shirazian, O.D. discusses low vision rehabilitation, including low vision devices and updates in technology
Resource: APHConnectCenter’s ConnectCalendar allows vision professionals, parents of children who are visually impaired, and adult consumers to find and share events
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