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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Nov 1;142(11):1046-1053.
doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.3884.

Prevalence of Glaucoma Among US Adults in 2022

Joshua R Ehrlich  1   2   3 , Zeb Burke-Conte  4 , John S Wittenborn  5 , Jinan Saaddine  3 , John D Omura  3 , David S Friedman  6 , Abraham D Flaxman  4 , David B Rein  5
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Prevalence of Glaucoma Among US Adults in 2022

Joshua R Ehrlich et al. JAMA Ophthalmol. .

Abstract

Importance: Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and, in the US, disproportionately affects people from racial and ethnic minority groups. Glaucoma prevalence has not been estimated for the US in more than a decade, and state- and county-level estimates are not available.

Objective: To estimate glaucoma and vision-affecting glaucoma prevalence by demographic factors and US state and county for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System (VEHSS).

Data sources: This meta-analysis used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2008), Medicare fee-for-service claims (2019), IBM MarketScan commercial insurance claims (2016), population-based studies of eye disease (1985-2003), and 2022 population estimates from the US Census Bureau.

Study selection: PubMed was searched for population-based studies of glaucoma prevalence published between 1991 and 2016.

Data extraction and synthesis: Bayesian meta-regression methods were used to estimate the prevalence of glaucoma and vision-affecting glaucoma stratified by age, undifferentiated sex/gender (a measure that captures an unclear mix of aspects of sex and or gender), race and ethnicity, and US county and state.

Main outcomes and measures: Prevalence of any type of glaucoma (open or closed angle) among people 18 years or older and vision-affecting glaucoma, defined as glaucoma and a visual field abnormality.

Results: For 2022, an estimated 4.22 million people (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 3.46 million to 5.23 million) in the US were living with glaucoma, with a prevalence of 1.62% (UI, 1.33%-2.00%) among people 18 years or older and 2.56% (UI, 2.10%-3.16%) among people 40 years or older. An estimated 1.49 million people (UI, 1.17 million to 1.90 million) were living with vision-affecting glaucoma, with a prevalence of 0.57% (UI, 0.45%-0.73%) among people 18 years or older and 0.91% (UI, 0.71%-1.16%) among people 40 years or older. Prevalence of glaucoma among people 18 years or older ranged from 1.11% (UI, 0.89%-1.40%) in Utah to 1.95% (UI, 1.57%-2.39%) in Mississippi. Black adults had a prevalence of 3.15% (UI, 2.32%-4.09%) compared with 1.42% (UI, 1.10%-1.85%) among White adults; adults in the Hispanic and all other racial and ethnic categories combined had a prevalence of 1.56% (UI, 1.13%-2.06%).

Conclusions and relevance: This meta-analysis found that an estimated 2.56% of people 40 years or older have glaucoma, slightly more than estimated by previous studies. Black individuals are disproportionately affected. Prevalence estimates at the state and county level can help guide public health planning.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Ehrlich’s effort was funded through an Intergovernment Personnel Act agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vision Health Initiative. Dr Friedman reported receiving consulting fees from Abbvie and Life Biosciences outside the submitted work, receiving speaking fees from Thea Pharmaceuticals outside the submitted work, and serving as a board member of Orbis International and the Glaucoma Research Foundation. Dr Flaxman reported receiving fees from Janssen, SwissRe, Evaluation Merck for Mothers, and Sanofi for assistance in analysis and interpretation of licensed data previously produced by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and advising fees from Agathos outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Composite Estimated US Prevalence Rate of Glaucoma by Age and Race and Ethnicity in 2022
aAll non-Hispanic races and ethnicities other than non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Composite Estimated Glaucoma Prevalence Among Adults by County in 2022
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Composite Estimated US Prevalence Rate of Vision-Affecting Glaucoma by Age and Race and Ethnicity in 2022
Scale is compressed relative to Figure 1 to increase visibility of differences across race and ethnicity and at younger ages. aAll non-Hispanic races and ethnicities other than non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.. Composite Estimated Vision-Affecting Glaucoma Prevalence Among Adults by County in 2022
Scale is compressed relative to Figure 2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

References

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