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Review
. 2020 Nov 24;12(11):e11686.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.11686.

Epidemiology of Glaucoma: The Past, Present, and Predictions for the Future

Karen Allison  1 , Deepkumar Patel  2 , Omobolanle Alabi  3
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology of Glaucoma: The Past, Present, and Predictions for the Future

Karen Allison et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Glaucoma is a multifactorial optic degenerative neuropathy characterized by the loss of retinal ganglion cells. It is a combination of vascular, genetic, anatomical, and immune factors. Glaucoma poses a significant public health concern as it is the second leading cause of blindness after cataracts, and this blindness is usually irreversible. It is estimated that 57.5 million people worldwide are affected by primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). People over 60 years of age, family members of those already diagnosed with glaucoma, steroid users, diabetics, as well as those with high myopia, hypertension, central cornea thickness of <5 mm, and eye injury are at an increased risk of glaucoma. By 2020, it is expected that approximately 76 million people will suffer from glaucoma with that number estimated to reach 111.8 million by 2040. In this article, we perform an extensive literature review focusing on the epidemiology of glaucoma and try to determine the number of people affected; we categorize them by sex, location, and level of income. Furthermore, we strive to estimate the future projection of the disease in the next 20 years (2040) while determining the disease burden, including the cost involved in treating and preventing the disease and the disease and disability projection of glaucoma.

Keywords: disease burden; epidemiology and biostatistics; primary open angle glaucoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Types of Glaucoma and characteristics of POAG and PACG
POAG: primary open-angle glaucoma; PACG: primary angle-closure glaucoma
Figure 2
Figure 2. Risk factors and projected prevalence of glaucoma
Figure 3
Figure 3. Age-specific and gender-specific prevalence of diagnosed glaucoma in 2018
Figure 4
Figure 4. Race-specific prevalence of diagnosed glaucoma in 2018
Figure 5
Figure 5. Age-specific prevalence of diagnosed glaucoma by ethnic groups in 2018
Figure 6
Figure 6. Future projections of glaucoma
POAG: primary open-angle glaucoma
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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