Open-Angle Glaucoma—An Epidemiologic Overview

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a summary overview of current epidemiologic data on open-angle glaucoma. METHODS: Literature review. RESULTS: The review summarizes information on the following topics: Definition of open-angle glaucoma; Prevalence data from studies conducted in various populations; Incidence data available from population studies; Risk factors, categorized as demographic, familial, systemic, and ocular; and, Progression factors. It concludes by outlining the epidemiologic contributions to glaucoma and suggesting research needs. CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiologic studies have contributed greatly to our knowledge of open-angle glaucoma. Still, many gaps remain, and the multifactorial etiology of glaucoma needs further clarification. Future research would benefit by standardizing the approach to define the disease, thus allowing better comparability across studies. A major priority is to achieve a better understanding of risk factors, which are likely to involve gene-environment interactions.