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    May is Healthy Vision Month!

    It's the perfect time to learn how to protect your vision and help us spread the word about eye health and safety.  You’ll find tips and tools to help you take control of your eye health so you can see well for a lifetime. 

     

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    Virtual Reality Experience App

    Millions of people are affected by eye diseases. But describing vision loss is difficult. Try the new “NEI VR: See What I See” application for your smartphone (Android or iOS) to help you experience vision loss from age-related macular degeneration or cataracts.

    Download the app

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NEI News

Patients in the trial were closely monitored for changes in vision, said Carl W. Baker, M.D. (left). During the 2-year study, the detection of 2 lines of visual acuity loss at one visit or 1 line of visual acuity loss at two consecutive visits prompted aflibercept injections to be given to the people in the laser or observation groups. Photo credit: Brooksie Beard

Watchful waiting reasonable for patients with diabetic macular edema and good vision

People with good vision despite having center-involved diabetic macular edema can safely forego immediate treatment of their eye condition as long as they are closely monitored, and treatment begins promptly if vision worsens, according to clinical trial results.
Calcium-rich foods include milk, yogurt and cheese, as well as non-dairy sources such as kale, white beans and sesame seeds.

NIH study finds no evidence that calcium increases risk of AMD

Eating a calcium-rich diet or taking calcium supplements does not appear to increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to the findings of a study by scientists at the National Eye Institute (NEI).
Field of spots with colors ranging from yellow to dark purple.

Imaging method reveals long-lived patterns in cells of the eye

Cells of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) form unique patterns that can be used to track changes in this important layer of tissue in the back of the eye, researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have found.

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NEI: A leader in vision research

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Every year, NEI supports vision research through more than 1,500 research grants and training awards to scientists at more than 250 institutions across the country and around the world. NEI also conducts laboratory research and clinical trials.

Learn about NEI grants and funding Learn about research at NEI

Director's Initiatives

NEI Director: Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D.

The NEI Director’s Initiatives focus on challenging, high-impact areas of vision research. NEI’s current research priorities include: