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Close-up of a girl's eye

Glaucoma 

64 million people worldwide live with glaucoma.1 It affects the optic nerve connecting the eye to the brain. Damage frequently occurs when the intraocular pressure (IOP) is too high. This happens when drainage of the aqueous humour (a watery fluid that fills the space between cornea and lens and helps maintain normal pressure in the eye) is blocked..

Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide

Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide 2,3

Glaucoma in developing countries

Up to 50% of people affected in developed countries do not know they have glaucoma,4 a figure that rises to 90% of people in developing countries 3

Glaucoma rising to 11.2 million by 2020

It is estimated that almost 14 million people will suffer from glaucoma in Europe in 2020 3

Glaucoma risk increases after 40

Glaucoma most commonly occurs after age 40, but sometimes occurs at birth, infancy or childhood (known as juvenile glaucoma) 4,5

Every 10 years of your life doubles your risk of glaucoma

Every 10 years of your life doubles your risk of glaucoma, and it is most common in elderly people over 60 years old 4

More likely to get glaucoma if you have a family history

You are 3-9 times more likely to get glaucoma if you have a family history of it 4

Higher intraocular pressure (IOP)

Higher intraocular pressure (IOP) has been consistently associated with the prevalence and incidence of open angle glaucoma (OAG) and is the only known modifiable factor in OAG 5,6

The prevalence of glaucoma is several times higher in some  races and ethnicities

The prevalence of glaucoma is several times higher in some 
races and ethnicities
including those of African-American and 
Afro-Caribbean origin compared to Caucasians 5,6

The estimated cost to society

The estimated cost to society of visual impairment and blindness in Europe is between 25 and 57 billion euros per year 7


References

  1. Tham Y-C et al. Ophthalmology. 2014;121(11):2081-2090
  2. Pascolini D et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2012;96:614-618
  3. Quigley HA et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2006;90:262-267
  4. Wu J et al. Arch Ophthalmol. 2006;124:950-954
  5. European Glaucoma Society Br J Ophthalmol 2017;101:75-195
  6. McMonnies CW J Optom 2017;10:71-78
  7. Chakravarthy U et al. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2017;24(4):239-247