Publications (2)5.79 Total impact
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Article: Economic cost of visual impairment in Japan.
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ABSTRACT: To quantify the total economic cost of visual impairment in Japan. A prevalence-based approach was adopted using data on visual impairment, the national health system, and indirect costs to capture the economic impact of visual impairment in 2007. In 2007, visual impairment affected more than 1.64 million people in Japan and cost around yen 8785.4 billion (US $72.8 billion) across the economy, equivalent to 1.7% of Japan's gross domestic product. The loss of well-being (years of life lost from disability and premature mortality) cost yen 5863.6 billion (US $48.6 billion). Direct health system costs were yen 1338.2 billion (US $11.1 billion). Other financial costs were yen 1583.5 billion (US $13.1 billion), including productivity losses, care takers' costs, and efficiency losses from welfare payments and taxes. Community care was the largest component of other financial costs and was composed of paid and unpaid services that provide home and personal care to people with visual impairment. The findings of this study are in line with those of similar studies in Australia and the United States. Visual impairment imposes substantial costs on society, particularly to individuals with visual impairment and their families. Eliminating or reducing disabilities from visual impairment through public awareness of preventive care, early diagnosis, more intensive disease treatment, and new medical technologies could significantly improve the quality of life for people with visual impairment and their families, while also potentially reducing national health care expenditure and increasing productivity in Japan. The results of this study should provide a first step in helping policymakers evaluate policy effects and to prioritize research expenditures.Archives of ophthalmology 06/2010; 128(6):766-71. · 3.86 Impact Factor -
Article: Prevalence of visual impairment in the adult Japanese population by cause and severity and future projections.
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ABSTRACT: To present a comprehensive estimate of the total number of people with visual impairment in the adult Japanese population by age, gender, severity and cause, and to estimate future prevalence based on population projections and expected demographic changes. Definitions of visual impairment used in this study were based on the United States criteria. Total visual impairment was calculated as the sum of low vision and blindness. The prevalence estimates were based on input from a number of Japanese epidemiological surveys, census material and official population projections. There were an estimated 1.64 million people with visual impairment in 2007 in Japan. Of these, 187,800 were estimated to be blind. The prevalence of visual impairment in Japan increased with age and half of the people with visual impairment were aged 70 years or older. The leading causes of visual impairment in Japan were glaucoma (24.3%), diabetic retinopathy (20.6%), degenerative myopia (12.2%), age-related macular degeneration (10.9%), and cataract (7.2%). These five major causes comprised three-quarters of all visual impairment. The prevalence of visual impairment was projected to increase from 1.3% of the population in 2007 to 2.0% by 2050. This comprehensive study presents the prevalence of total visual impairment in the adult Japanese population. The projected increases in the prevalence of visual impairment over time reflect the demographic changes of a declining and aging Japanese population. These projections highlight that the burden of disease due to visual impairment and imposed on society is likely to increase.Ophthalmic epidemiology 01/2010; 17(1):50-7. · 1.93 Impact Factor
