Black adults disproportionately affected as glaucoma reaches 4.22 million in US

University of Michigan study reveals regional and demographic disparities in glaucoma burden. The results reveal that 4.22 million American adults had glaucoma in 2022, including 1.49 million living with vision impairment.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and disproportionately affects ethnic minority groups in the United States. The current prevalence of the disease remains largely unknown as no national estimates have been made for over a decade.

The study “Prevalence of glaucoma among US adults in 2022,” published in JAMA Ophthalmologystudied prevalence levels among adults in the United States and found significant demographic and geographic disparities in glaucoma cases.

The results showed that 4.22 million American adults were living with glaucoma in 2022, with a prevalence of 1.62% among those aged 18 and older. By reducing the pool to those aged 40 and over, the prevalence increased to 2.56%. Of the 4.22 million people, 1.49 million were living with glaucoma that affects vision, representing 0.57% of the U.S. adult population.

Demographic disparities were clear, with black adults experiencing the highest prevalence of glaucoma at 3.15% compared to 1.42% among white adults. Hispanic adults and other ethnic groups were grouped together in the study due to data limitations, with an estimated prevalence of 1.56%. Rates of glaucoma increase with age, with estimates of 7.75% of people aged 80 and older affected.

Geographic variations in glaucoma prevalence have also been observed, ranging from 1.11% in Utah to 1.95% in Mississippi. Glaucoma affecting vision ranged from 0.38% in Utah to 0.70% in Mississippi.

Data for the study comes from several sources, including the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Medicare claims, IBM MarketScan insurance claims, and population-based eye disease studies. Researchers applied Bayesian meta-regression methods to estimate prevalence by age, race, and sex/gender at the national, state, and county levels.

The results provide updated estimates of glaucoma prevalence in the United States, which could be used to guide public health strategies and resource allocation, particularly for high-risk groups and regions.

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