“An estimated 4.22 million U.S. adults had glaucoma in 2022, and 1.49 million had vision-affecting glaucoma, with “substantial variation” in prevalence by region and demographics, according to a research study published in JAMA Ophthalmology
“Up-to-date estimates of how many people have glaucoma in a certain area are vital for addressing the problem,” said Joshua Ehrlich, MD, MPH, lead author of the study and associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Michigan Medicine. “This kind of information is important for formulating evidence-based policy and public health solutions.”
To estimate the prevalence of glaucoma and related vison loss on a state and county level, Ehrich and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Medicare and IBM MarketScan claims, population-based studies of eye disease and population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.”
Glaucoma Research Foundation (Glaucoma Study Shows Higher Prevalence Than Previous Estimates – Glaucoma Research Foundation Glaucoma.org)