As Glaucoma Awareness Month begins, vision health organizations focused on the prevention and treatment of this disease are stepping up their efforts to improve its management. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that more than 3 million Americans currently have glaucoma, and cases are predicted to more than double to 6.3 million by 2050.

This upward trend, coupled with an aging U.S. population, amplifies the importance of finding prevention and treatment protocols, and highlights the importance of regular eye exams and improved managed care. Timely treatment can prevent vision loss or blindness, the CDC advises, yet a staggering 50 percent of people with glaucoma don’t know they have it. The organization also reports that glaucoma is considered the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the U.S. and costs the U.S. economy more than $2.8 billion annually in direct costs and productivity losses.

“Most people affected by glaucoma don’t know it, which is another reason why preventive eyecare is necessary,” said Dr. Rashad Haddad, an optometrist at LensCrafters in Dearborn Heights, Mich. “Although there is no cure, there are treatment options to help slow it down, so it’s crucial that an optometrist detect it early to prevent potential loss of vision.”

 
Several risk factors increase the likelihood of developing glaucoma, the CDC notes, including being aged 60 years or older, having a family history of glaucoma, and having diabetes or high blood pressure. The groups most likely to experience negative outcomes related to glaucoma are Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino, the organization stated. Underinsured people, those living in poverty or persons living in rural areas are also more likely to suffer long-term effects of glaucoma. With this in mind, the CDC recommends three strategies to improve outcomes:

  • Interventions that offer free or cost-effective vision screening.

  • Educational programs.

  • Outreach to help guide people to the resources they need.
Eyecare professionals and vision health organizations emphasize that a comprehensive and thorough eye exam, including a visual field test and measurement of intraocular pressure and corneal thickness, is needed in the assessment for glaucoma. In addition, Dr. Chad M. Parks, a managing optometrist at LensCrafters in Madison, Wis., notes that he discusses patients’ family history and systemic health history, and provides retinal imaging with an optomap to thoroughly look at the optic nerve and posterior pole.

“We provide visual field-testing to determine if there is any functional vision loss related to glaucoma and/or other optic neuropathy,” he said. “These things, along with discussion about nutrition and cardiovascular health importance with proper physical activity, allow us to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the eyes as well as the optic nerve to determine the risk of glaucoma.”

Prevent Blindness has been at the forefront of developing resources to help people impacted by vision health concerns. The organization was founded as a public health advocacy organization 117 years ago, notes CEO Jeff Todd, and continues its mission to provide the public with reliable educational resources and to advocate for vision and eye health funding at both the state and federal levels.

He pointed to the expectation that the aging U.S. population is expected to bring with it a rise in the number of glaucoma cases and other adult eye diseases, and called out a recent study, titled “Prevalence of Glaucoma Among U.S. Adults in 2022,” conducted by the CDC and leading researchers, which found that approximately 4.22 million people in the U.S. have glaucoma. Of these, 1.49 million have vision-affecting glaucoma.


“We know these numbers are expected to rise significantly, and certain groups are at even higher risk,” he said. “For example, the study found that Black individuals are about three times as likely to have vision-affecting glaucoma compared to White individuals.”

Todd noted that one of the most concerning aspects of glaucoma is its silent progression and, because it generally affects peripheral vision gradually, the fact that many individuals remain unaware they have it.

“Eyecare providers can help mitigate the sight-threatening effects of glaucoma by emphasizing the importance of risk assessment, early detection, and timely treatment during patient consultations,” he said.

Prevent Blindness offers a wide range of resources, while also advocating for continued CDC funding for initiatives such as the Vision Health Initiative (VHI) and the Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System. Among Todd’s favorite new resources is the Glaucoma Financial Assistance fact sheets, available on the organization’s website.

“We’ve created materials specifically for ECPs and other health care professionals to help us spread the word to patients and care partners about The Glaucoma Community," he said. “The Glaucoma Community Promotional Toolkit includes printable flyers, social media text and graphics, and PowerPoint slides that can be used in presentations, as screensavers and more.”