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Editorial
. 2025 May 19;17(5):e84379.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.84379. eCollection 2025 May.

Proposal of the Glaucoma Etiology Complex (GEC): A Structured Framework for Understanding the Multifactorial Nature of Glaucoma

Masaki Tanito  1
Affiliations
Editorial

Proposal of the Glaucoma Etiology Complex (GEC): A Structured Framework for Understanding the Multifactorial Nature of Glaucoma

Masaki Tanito. Cureus. .

Abstract

The Glaucoma Etiology Complex (GEC) is a conceptual framework encompassing all elements involved in the pathophysiology of glaucoma. Glaucoma is no longer understood as a disease driven solely by intraocular pressure; instead, it is increasingly recognized as a complex condition influenced by ocular, systemic, genetic, vascular, and lifestyle-related factors. The nine components of the GEC are: 1. age, 2. genetic factors, 3. intraocular pressure, 4. ocular characteristics, 5. ocular comorbidities, 6. vascular factors, 7. systemic comorbidities, 8. lifestyle factors, and 9. patient treatment attitude. These components interact with each other to dynamically shape the disease process over time. This editorial presents the structure and significance of the GEC, aiming to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the multifactorial nature of glaucoma. This perspective may serve as a useful reference for both clinicians and researchers in pursuing individualized risk assessment, early diagnosis, and personalized management strategies for glaucoma.

Keywords: comprehensive framework; etiology; glaucoma; patient-centered care; risk factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The Glaucoma Etiology Complex (GEC): nine interacting components
The GEC framework illustrates the nine components of factors involved in the pathophysiology of glaucoma: 1. Age, 2. Genetic factors, 3. Intraocular pressure, 4. Ocular characteristics, 5. Ocular comorbidities, 6. Vascular factors, 7. Systemic comorbidities, 8. Lifestyle factors, and 9. Patient treatment attitude. These components interact dynamically over time, contributing to disease development, progression, and therapeutic response. Image credits: The author
Figure 2
Figure 2. Glaucoma Etiology Complex (GEC): Japanese-English Bilingual Version
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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