A recent meta-analysis estimated that 4.22 million adults in the US (1.62% of the adult population) are living with glaucoma as of 2022. The study also reported that 1.49 million individuals are affected by vision-threatening glaucoma.

State- and county-level estimates of glaucoma prevalence haven’t been taken in more than a decade, the investigators noted. As they wrote in their article, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, these estimates would be a valuable resource for monitoring epidemiologic trends, and developing treatment programs and public health strategies. They explained that more subjective diagnostic criteria, as well as geographic differences in health care, could affect glaucoma diagnosis.

In addition to the overall numbers, the researchers found that Non-Hispanic Black individuals have the highest prevalence of glaucoma at 3.15%, and vision-affecting glaucoma at 1.20%. This group is approximately twice as likely as non-Hispanic White adults to have glaucoma and nearly 3 times as likely to have vision-affecting glaucoma. Further, glaucoma prevalence was highest in the Southern US. Prevalence also rose significantly with age, up to 7.75% among those 80 years old or older.

The investigators noted that estimates have risen since they were last taken in 2004. Two decades ago, 2.22 million individuals had glaucoma, and prevalence was projected to increase to 3.36 million individuals by 2020, which is nearly a million less than the current estimates presented in their study.

The researchers emphasized the importance of early detection, particularly for high-risk groups, to prevent vision loss and manage disease progression, and further population-based data collection.

A full list of author disclosures can be found in the published research.