Did you know?

• It is estimated that over 4 million Americans have glaucoma but only half of those know they have it. ⁽¹⁾
• Approximately 120,000 are blind from glaucoma, accounting for 9% to 12% of all cases of blindness in the U.S. ⁽²⁾
• High IOP (intra-ocular pressure) is the greatest risk factor for developing glaucoma ; about 2% of the population ages 40-50 and 8% over 70 have elevated IOP.
• Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world and is the leading cause of blindness among African-Americans.
• Other high-risk groups include: people over 60, family members of those already diagnosed, diabetics, and people who are severely nearsighted.
• Estimates put the total number of suspected cases of glaucoma at around 65 million worldwide. ⁽³⁾

Sources: ⁽¹⁾ Prevent Blindness America; ⁽²⁾ National Eye Health Program/National Institutes of Health; ⁽³⁾ Quigley, “Number of people with glaucoma worldwide,” 1996; NEI, Report of the Glaucoma Panel, Fall 1998A