As we move into a future where longevity and health advances go hand in hand with evolving policy pressures, it’s worth pausing to look at two significant stories that are starting to intersect with everyday life: proposals to raise the full retirement age for Social Security, and breakthroughs in eye medicine that may reverse one of aging’s most familiar frustrations — difficulty reading up close.
Facing a Longer Working Life?
You may already be aware: Social Security’s financial outlook is under strain, and among the many options debated in Washington and in policy circles is the idea of increasing the “full retirement age” (FRA) — the point at which you can claim your benefits without reduction. Some policymakers, including the current head of the Social Security Administration, have indicated that “everything’s on the table” as we look for ways to shore up the system’s long-term viability.
Raising the FRA would shift the balance: people would likely have to work longer, delay claiming benefits, or accept reduced payments if they claim early. Proposals often envision gradual phase-ins (for example, raising by a few months each year), or indexing the FRA to life expectancy. The goal is to reduce costs without shocking today’s retirees — but the effects would ripple especially through those in physically demanding jobs or with health constraints.
A Brighter View: New Drops for Aging Eyes
While the retirement landscape is shifting, so too is the medical landscape — particularly in how we treat presbyopia, the age-related decline in near (reading) vision that affects billions worldwide. Traditionally, people have relied on reading glasses, bifocals, or surgery to compensate. Now, researchers are exploring a pharmacological path.
In a recent clinical effort, scientists combined pilocarpine (a drug that constricts the pupil and helps the eye focus) with diclofenac (a mild anti-inflammatory) into eye drops. Participants in the study — 766 individuals diagnosed with presbyopia — used the drops twice daily in three different dosage groups (1 %, 2 %, or 3 % pilocarpine). After treatment, many could read two, three, or more additional lines on a standard near-vision chart. For many, the improvement was enough to reduce or eliminate the need for reading glasses. Remarkably, the positive effect persisted, on average, for more than a year and up to two years — though users continued with regular use.
This innovation works through a “dual mechanism”: stimulating the eye’s focusing muscles while constricting the pupil (creating a “pinhole” effect that sharpens depth of focus). It’s not a perfect cure-all — some side effects like dim vision in low light, mild irritation, or headaches were reported, and it may not fully replace glasses in all cases — but it’s a promising step forward.
To add to this momentum, in 2025 the FDA also approved aceclidine (under the brand name Vizz) for presbyopia, marking another pharmacological tool in the toolbox for near vision correction. Aceclidine acts on the eye’s iris to constrict the pupil, enhancing depth of field without significantly affecting distance vision.
Why These Trends Matter Together
These two stories — about how long we might work, and how clearly we might see along the way — are both about quality in later life. They tug at deeper questions:
- If you need to work longer, how much of your retirement planning hinges on healthy vision, mobility, and functionality?
- If eye care becomes more therapeutically advanced, could better vision reduce some barriers to longer working lives?
- How do emerging medical options influence our decisions about when to retire, what lifestyles to maintain, or how to allocate savings and insurance structures?
What You Should Do Now
- Stay attuned to policy changes. Proposed modifications to Social Security are being discussed now; changes could be phased in over many years.
- Talk to your eye doctor. If you struggle with near vision, mention pharmacological alternatives like pilocarpine or aceclidine drops — see whether you’re a candidate.
- Adjust your planning. If longer work is on the horizon, preserve your health, flexibility, and savings buffer. Vision is one key component of staying productive and comfortable.
- Expect change. The next decade may bring not just incremental advances, but dramatic shifts — in how we see, how we retire, and how we age.
Aging is rarely simple, but it’s becoming more negotiable. Between policy shifts and medical breakthroughs lies the possibility of a future where more years feel fuller, clearer, and more under our control.