Exfoliation glaucoma

Risk factors

Age, ethnicity and family history are the most important risk factors in the development of glaucoma.

• Age: Glaucoma most commonly affects people over 60 years of age but can begin as early as 30 or 40 years of age.
• Race/Ethnicity: Glaucoma is five times more likely to occur among African Americans than Caucasians and about four times more likely to cause blindness in African Americans compared with Caucasians. Additionally, glaucoma is about 15 times more likely to cause blindness in African Americans between the ages of 45-64 than in Caucasians of the same age group.
• Hypertension: A number of studies also suggest that there is a correlation between glaucoma and high blood pressure.
• Family history/Genetics: Men who have one relative with glaucoma are twice as likely to develop the disease, while those with two or more relatives are nearly four times more likely to be diagnosed. This suggests that genetic risk variants play a significant role in the risk of developing the disease.

Prevention and treatment

Most people who become blind from glaucoma are already blind on at least one eye by the time of diagnosis, which emphasizes the need for increased awareness and early diagnosis. Studies have shown that the early detection and treatment of glaucoma, before it causes major vision loss, is the best way to control the disease.

Individuals who may be at high risk for glaucoma include African Americans over age 40; everyone over age 60, especially Mexican Americans; and people with a family history of the disease. These individuals should have a comprehensive eye exam at least once every two years according to recommendations by the National Eye Institute (NEI) . Lowering eye pressure in glaucoma’s early stages slows progression of the disease and helps preserve vision.

A comprehensive eye exam can also reveal other associated eye abnormalities that can increase the risk of glaucoma, such as high eye pressure, thinness of the cornea, and abnormal optic nerve anatomy. In some people with certain combinations of these high-risk factors, eye drops reduce the risk of developing glaucoma by about half. Additional therapies such as laser treatments may be beneficial, especially for the XFG form of glaucoma.

More information

You can find out more information about glaucoma by talking with your doctor and visiting these Web sites:

• The American Glaucoma Society
• The Glaucoma Foundation
• National Eye Institute
• Medline Plus Article on Glaucoma
• Wikipedia Article on Glaucoma

This content was last reviewed on February 11, 2010.