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C CLINICAL RESEARCH

2. Age
a. Increasing Age: A number of population-based studies confirm that age is an important risk for the
development and progression of POAG. 12,22,59,66 According to the Baltimore Eye Survey the prevalence of
POAG increases 3.5 times in individuals over the age of 70. The OHTS showed age greater than 55 to be a
9
strong predictor of POAG, and the EMGT found that the older the individual, the greater the prevalence of
glaucoma. Age has also been found to be a significant risk factor in various ethnic groups with Hispanics
8,13
showing the highest prevalence of POAG among all races for individuals over 80.
59
3. Race
a. African Origin: POAG has been found to be 4 to 6 times more frequent among individuals of African origin,
and individuals from the Caribbean and US of African descent, than among Caucasians. 9,12,23,67 It has also
been suggested that African Americans develop POAG at an earlier age and are more likely to go blind from
the disease. 67,68

b. Hispanic Origin: POAG appears to be more prevalent in the Hispanic than the Caucasian population,
especially in individuals over 60. 59

c. Asian Origin: Recent population studies have shown that the prevalence of POAG among Asian and
Asian Indians ethnicities is greater than was once thought, with prevalence rates approaching those of
Caucasians. 1,16,69,70 NTG is more prevalent in Japanese and North Korean individuals than in Caucasians. 69,70
While ACG remains an important concern in Asian ethnic groups, POAG and NTG is an increasing concern
and must not be overlooked. 1,16,69,70

See Figure 2 summarizing the relationship between disease prevalence, age, and ethnicity.

Figure 2: The prevalence of glaucoma increases with advancing age. African-Americans age 40 and older are at the high-
est risk of developing the disease compared with people of other races. By age 69, nearly six percent of African-Americans
have glaucoma; their risk rises to nearly 12 percent after age 80. Courtesy: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of
Health (NEI/NIH)

12 CANADIAN JOURNAL of OPTOMETRY | REVUE CANADIENNE D’OPTOMÉTRIE VOL. 79 SUPPLEMENT 1, 2017