But for nearly a billion people in the developing world, reading glasses are a luxury that many cannot afford. Uncorrected presbyopia, not surprisingly, makes it harder for breadwinners to support their families. That’s the conclusion of a new study which found that garment workers, artisans and tailors in Bangladesh who were provided with free reading glasses experienced a 33 percent increase in income compared to those who were not given glasses. Half of the participants — a mix of tea pickers, weavers and seamstresses between 35 and 65 — were randomly chosen to receive a free pair of reading glasses. The others were not given glasses.

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Persons: Uncorrected presbyopia Organizations: World Health Organization Locations: Bangladesh