Not Wearing Varifocal Glasses During Outdoor Activities May Lower Seniors' Fall Risk.

Not Wearing Varifocal Glasses During Outdoor Activities May Lower Seniors' Fall Risk.

BBC News (5/26) reports that, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal, "many falls could be prevented if older people do not wear varifocal glasses while out and about." In a study of "600 people aged either over 80 or over 65 with a history of falls," half of whom "were given single lens glasses for going out" and half of whom were not, Australian researchers found that those who went outdoors regularly while wearing single focal lenses experienced 40% fewer falls. Therefore, the study authors advised seniors to wear single focal glasses while performing outdoor activities in spite of the inconvenience of having to change glasses.