Non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), the most common cause of acute optic nerve disease in older persons, causes permanent and severe visual loss. Visual function can be impaired through decreased central visual acuity or peripheral field loss, or both. NAION strikes both eyes in up to 40 percent of affected patients. The incidence of NAION has been estimated at 2.3 per 100,000 persons over the age of 50 years and 0.54 per 100,000 for all ages. Estimates of the number of new cases seen each year in the United States range from a low of approximately 1,500 to a high of 6,000.