How common is glaucoma?
More than three million Americans are living with glaucoma, 2.7 million of whom—aged 40 and older—are affected by its most common form, open-angle glaucoma. In 2020, about 80 million people have glaucoma worldwide, and this number is expected to increase to over 111 million by 2040.
What percentage of adults get glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. It affects more than 2.7 million individuals age 40 or older in the United States — approximately 1.9 percent of this population.
Why do blacks get glaucoma?
Some of the important findings from this study include the fact that African Americans have thinner corneas than those of European descent. Thin corneas are a known risk factor for glaucoma. Another finding is that Americans of African ancestry had larger optic nerves.
Is glaucoma common in black people?
Glaucoma occurs about five times more often in African Americans. Blindness from glaucoma is about six times more common. In addition to this higher frequency, glaucoma often occurs earlier in life in African Americans — on average, about 10 years earlier than in other ethnic populations.
Is glaucoma inherited?
The most common type of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, is hereditary. If members of your immediate family have glaucoma, you are at a much higher risk than the rest of the population. Family history increases risk of glaucoma four to nine times.
Do Asians get glaucoma?
East Asians experience the highest rate of blindness in the world from one of the two most common types of glaucoma. The other major glaucoma type is primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), which is more prevalent among people of European and African descent. …
What causes glaucoma?
Glaucoma is the result of damage to the optic nerve. As this nerve gradually deteriorates, blind spots develop in your visual field. For reasons that doctors don’t fully understand, this nerve damage is usually related to increased pressure in the eye.
What is Angle Closure Glaucoma?
Angle-closure glaucoma, also known as narrow-angle glaucoma, is caused by blocked drainage canals in the eye, resulting in a sudden rise in intraocular pressure. This is a much more rare form of glaucoma, which develops very quickly and demands immediate medical attention.
How does ethnicity affect glaucoma?
Previous studies15,18-20 have found that blacks and Latinos are at greater risk for glaucoma than whites. Black race is a known risk factor for glaucoma, evidenced by increased disease prevalence, earlier disease development, and increased progression to blindness.
Is glaucoma more common in Asians?
Glaucoma affects nearly 70 million people worldwide, of which nearly half are in Asia. Although more people are affected by primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) than by primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), the latter is more common in Asians and carries a higher burden of morbidity.
Is glaucoma more common in males or females?
Recent findings: Women not only outlive men, but also outnumber men in glaucoma cases worldwide. Women are at higher risks for angle closure glaucoma, but there is no clear gender predilection for open angle glaucoma.