Keeping track of “most read” stories is a good benchmark for many people in the media world—it gives us a sense of what is resonating with our readers and guides us as to what interests them as consumers of our print and digital products. As journalists, reader preferences also alert us as to what’s top of mind for our readers and what types of subject matters and business tools they might need to navigate today’s ever-changing optical landscape. Today, we take a look back at our most read Today’s Read features for 2023. The subject matter runs the gamut from fun facts about Super Bowl LVII and stats from past games to how automation helped one lab reinvent itself to a U.S. patent for sunglasses that could repair vision. For a look back, here are our Top 15 most read VMAIL Weekend features for 2023.






1.
Fun Facts About the Super Bowl
Let’s face it, football is a very statistical game. And as we all know, for play-by-play announcers and color commentators, there is no shortage of stats on any given Sunday. With only one day left until the season’s biggest game, VMAIL Weekend thought it would be a kick to list some fun facts about Super Bowl LVII as well as some stats from games in past years. Read More






2.
What’s on the Horizon for Glaucoma Treatment and Detection?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about three million Americans have glaucoma and the disease is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. VMAIL Weekend recently sat down with Ashish Singh, MD, who specializes in cataract and refractive surgery, for a conversation about the early signs of glaucoma, encouraging high-risk patients to get screened on a regular basis and new glaucoma treatments. Read More






3.
The Battle Against Cataracts Marches On
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one million cataract surgeries are performed each year and more than half of Americans over the age of 80 are living with cataracts. VMAIL Weekend recently sat down with Dr. David Litoff, a corneal specialist and surgeon specializing in both cataract surgery and refractive surgery, to talk about the early signs of cataract, how patients can protect themselves from developing cataracts and what's involved in cataract surgery and choosing the right IOL. Read More





4.
Growing at the Speed of Automation—How One Lab Reinvented Itself
OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss.—Every company’s growth journey is unique, but for Superior Optical Lab in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, it’s an impressive story marked by Service-Disabled Veterans support, 400 percent revenue growth in the past five years, and a recent expansion effort that has quadrupled capacity through state-of-the-art automation. Today, Superior Optical Lab is on the forefront of the industry—fueled by focused leadership, a strong presence within the Veterans Administration (VA) and ECP communities, and the powerful, behind-the-scenes Schneider Modulo One technology. Read More






5.
The 'Comptometrist'—Is There a Better Way to Determine Myopic Power?
When 14-year old Harini Venkatesh’s younger sister visited the eye doctor for her first checkup and came home complaining that she hadn’t been able to tell what was blurry and what wasn’t when the doctor had asked, she thought to herself, there has to be a better way to do this. So she set out to find a solution and ended up winning second place in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge with Discovery Education, a worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning. Read More






6.
Celebrating Eyewear Pioneer Altina Schinasi
On August 4, Google’s logo looked a little different. Google often replaces its standard logo with what it calls a Google Doodle—an adaptation of its classic logo to celebrate a holiday, a person, a historical event, a work of art, or anything, really—and the subject of August 4’s Doodle was Altina Schinasi, most well-known as the designer of the Harlequin eyeglass frames. Read More






7.
A Growing F1 Audience Brings Eyewear Into the Limelight
NEW YORK—Fan or not, you’ve probably seen at least one mention of a Formula 1 Grand Prix recently. The sport has grown exponentially here in the U.S., bolstered by the Netflix docuseries “Drive to Survive,” which has been giving fans a dramatic, behind the scenes look at the sport and its athletes since 2019. Behind—or, rather, in front of—every handsome, European Formula 1 driver is a hot pair of sunglasses. Read More  






8.
The Optical Community Weighs In on the Latest FDA Eye Drop Warning
This past week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to purchase and to immediately stop using 26 over-the-counter eye drop products, including products from CVS Health and Rite Aid, due to the potential risk of eye infections that could result in partial vision loss or blindness, setting off a flurry of press coverage in the medical community and the news media. VMAIL Weekend reached out to several prominent optometrists, as well as the AOA, to find out how patients are reacting to the recent warning from the FDA and how ECPs are dealing with patients’ concerns when it comes to over-the-counter eye drops. Read More






9.
Sports Vision Is Helping Athletes at All Levels Reach Peak Performance
Imagine stepping into the batter’s box and attempting to hit a baseball coming at you at 90-plus miles per hour. Or picture being on the ice as a hockey goaltender and attempting to track the puck from a 90 miles per hour slap shot through a maze of players in front of the goal. Now imagine attempting these sports scenarios without your vision at its best. That’s where sports vision, the science of helping athletes reach peak levels of performance through enhancement of visual skills, is becoming more important in training for all ages and skill levels. Read More






10.
U.S. Patent Awarded for Sunglasses That Could Repair Vision
When sunlight strikes the lens of our eyes, some of the energy absorbed is converted into heat. But some of that “absorbed energy” is also converted into light. It’s a blue-green “glow” that is responsible for much of the visual discomfort that we call glare. However, later in life, our lens emits a new, red light “glow” (fluorescence) that may repair the retina. A U.S. patent was recently issued to Photoprotective Technologies, Inc. that mimics the details of the red fluorescence of the human lens. Read More






11.
Meet VM’s 2023 ‘Class’ of Most Influential Women in Optical
For more than 20 years, Vision Monday has been shining a spotlight on women in the optical industry who check all the boxes. They are high achievers, difference makers and trendsetters who just plain stand out and every July we are honored to share their stories of success in our Most Influential Women in Optical Report. This year’s “class” of honorees does not disappoint. Read More






12.
Baseball and the Pitch Clock: Swing and a Miss or a Grand Slam?
Tick, tick, tick…what’s that unfamiliar sound at the ballpark? For both the lifelong baseball fan as well the newcomer to America’s pastime, some of the sights and sounds of the ballpark may not ring familiar this season. But the sound (be it silent) of a pitch clock? For the first time in Major League Baseball history, the league has implemented a pitch clock for the 2023 season in an attempt to speed up the length of games played. Read More






13.
Optometry Schools, Graduation Season and a New Class of ODs
NEW YORK—Graduation season is officially upon us, with countless students across the country graduating from high school, college, professional schools and more. This season of celebration extends to the optical industry, too, as most Schools and Colleges of Optometry in the U.S. celebrate commencement in the month of May, welcoming hundreds of new ODs into the community. Here we’re honoring these new graduates with a look at graduation ceremonies and celebrations from a number of optometry schools around the country. Read More






14.
The Kentucky Derby: History, Fun, Fashion—And a Local Eyewear Connection
Today marks the 149th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby, which brings with it all the history and pageantry (mint julep, fancy hats, anyone?) spectators and participants alike have grown accustomed to at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Ky. Traditionally held the first Saturday in May, the Derby is the longest running sporting event in the U.S., dating back to 1875. These days, the week leading up to the Kentucky Derby is one of celebration and can be a boon for many local businesses, including eyecare professionals and optical retailers. Read More






15.
Vision Protection Is Key to Viewing Oct. 14 Solar Eclipse
Millions of people will have their eyes on the sky on October 14 for a solar eclipse, which will be visible across parts of the U.S., Canada, Mexico and parts of South America. People are often tempted to have a look at a solar eclipse without taking into consideration the risks involved. Not only can looking at a solar eclipse damage your eyes, it can also lead to long-term damage. The greatest vision risk when trying to watch an eclipse is looking directly at the sun without proper protection. Read More