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. 2024 Mar;102(2):208-215.
doi: 10.1111/aos.15734. Epub 2023 Jul 17.

The prevalence of glaucoma in a 70-year-old Swedish population in the city area of Gothenburg

Lena Havstam Johansson  1   2 , Lada Kalaboukhova  1   2 , Hanna Falk Erhag  3 , Ingmar Skoog  3 , Madeleine Zetterberg  1   2
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Free article

The prevalence of glaucoma in a 70-year-old Swedish population in the city area of Gothenburg

Lena Havstam Johansson et al. Acta Ophthalmol. 2024 Mar.
Free article

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for open-angle glaucoma in a population of 70-year-olds in Gothenburg, Sweden and to compare the visual function between the glaucoma population and the non-glaucoma population.

Methods: Of the entire cohort (n = 1203), 1182 participants responded a questionnaire on self-reported glaucoma and were tested for blood pressure (BP) and diabetes. In all, 560 participants underwent ophthalmic examination including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT), contrast sensitivity (CS), perimetry and photos of the retina and lens.

Results: Glaucoma prevalence was 4.8% (95% confidence interval, 3.0%-6.6%), of which 56% was previously undiagnosed. The proportion of participants with diastolic BP >90 mmHg was higher in the non-glaucomatous group (8.3%) than the glaucoma group (0%), p < 0.001. A family history of glaucoma was present in a larger proportion of the glaucoma group (39%) than of the non-glaucomatous group (1.1%), p = 0.001. Mean IOP in individuals without glaucoma was 16 mmHg, versus 21 mmHg in participants with glaucoma detected at the examination. IOP was ≤21 mmHg in 67% among participants with previously unknown glaucoma. BCVA was lower in eyes with previously unknown glaucoma than in eyes without glaucoma (p = 0.017) but BCVA in the best eye did not differ. CCT and CS were similar in all cases.

Conclusions: The prevalence of glaucoma was comparable to that reported previously. A family history of glaucoma and higher IOP were risk factors associated with glaucoma. BCVA in the best eye did not differ significantly between subjects with and without glaucoma.

Keywords: ageing; best-corrected visual acuity; cross-sectional study; glaucoma; risk factors; visual field.

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