Glaucoma toll will reach 80 million by 2020

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Vision experts warn that glaucoma is on the increase, particularly in developing countries.
Glaucoma, a condition caused by pressure on the optic nerve, is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. Researchers at the Ophthalmological Institute, Baltimore, have been assessing the future global toll of the condition.

They believe that 60.5 million people will have glaucoma by 2010 and almost six out of ten of them will be women. By 2020 the figure will have gone up to just under 80 million people. What is more, people living in Asia will account for over half of glaucoma cases. Between 2010 and 2020, the data suggests that the steepest rise in glaucoma will be in India. There are, fortunately, treatments available for glaucoma. The challenge now is to get these - and speedy diagnosis - to those who need them

Source
British Journal of Ophthalmology 2006 Volume 90 pages 262-267

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