Visual impairment and blindness are common in older people in Britain and it is becoming increasingly important to develop research and health service priorities accordingly. The population of the UK is ageing rapidly: by 2041, the number of people aged 75 years and above is projected to increase by over 100% and the number of people aged 90 years and above by over 260% (Government Actuary's Department, 2004). It is clear that age-related diseases such as cataract and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) will assume increasing importance in the public health of the nation, and the symposium in this issue seeks to examine the common causes of visual loss in the elderly in greater detail.