Eye and Vision Care

Eye Disease: Are You At Risk?

GLAUCOMA

Glaucoma* is a group of eye diseases that slowly causes optic nerve damage leading to vision loss. If glaucoma is not treated, it can lead to blindness in 3-15 years depending on the number of risk factors that a patient has. Glaucoma occurs in 1 in 50 people in the U.S. People of African descent are 6-8 times (1 in 7) more likely to develop glaucoma than people of other racial or ethnic groups. In African Americans glaucoma occurs at a younger age, is more severe, and is the #1 cause of blindness. The prevalence of glaucoma in U.S. Hispanics has been reported at 6% in individuals 41 years of age and older, and as high as 12% in those 80 years old and older. Normal tension glaucoma (glaucoma with normal eye pressure) has been reported at a higher rate in Asians. Advancing age is a major risk factor for all individuals, increasing the occurrence 4-10 times in African Americans and Hispanics over 40 years of age.

*Open Angle Glaucoma

Who is at risk for glaucoma?

People who have a family history of glaucoma
People who are Americans of African or Hispanic descent [40 years of age and older]
People who are 60 years of age and older
People with high normal eye pressure
People with thinner than normal front surface of eye (cornea)

Also people who:

Are diabetic
Are very nearsighted
Have used steroids on a regular basis for a long time
Have had a past eye injury

What can you do to reduce your risk?

Have an eye exam performed by your eye doctor every 1-2 years

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Last Reviewed: May 02, 2007

Cynthia Gale Heard, OD
Assistant Professor, Clinical Optometry
College of Optometry
The Ohio State University