The prevalence of glaucoma in a 70‐year‐old Swedish population in the city area of Gothenburg

Abstract

AbstractPurposeTo determine the prevalence of and risk factors for open‐angle glaucoma in a population of 70‐year‐olds in Gothenburg, Sweden and to compare the visual function between the glaucoma population and the non‐glaucoma population.MethodsOf the entire cohort (n = 1203), 1182 participants responded a questionnaire on self‐reported glaucoma and were tested for blood pressure (BP) and diabetes. In all, 560 participants underwent ophthalmic examination including best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT), contrast sensitivity (CS), perimetry and photos of the retina and lens.ResultsGlaucoma prevalence was 4.8% (95% confidence interval, 3.0%–6.6%), of which 56% was previously undiagnosed. The proportion of participants with diastolic BP >90 mmHg was higher in the non‐glaucomatous group (8.3%) than the glaucoma group (0%), p < 0.001. A family history of glaucoma was present in a larger proportion of the glaucoma group (39%) than of the non‐glaucomatous group (1.1%), p = 0.001. Mean IOP in individuals without glaucoma was 16 mmHg, versus 21 mmHg in participants with glaucoma detected at the examination. IOP was ≤21 mmHg in 67% among participants with previously unknown glaucoma. BCVA was lower in eyes with previously unknown glaucoma than in eyes without glaucoma (p = 0.017) but BCVA in the best eye did not differ. CCT and CS were similar in all cases.ConclusionsThe prevalence of glaucoma was comparable to that reported previously. A family history of glaucoma and higher IOP were risk factors associated with glaucoma. BCVA in the best eye did not differ significantly between subjects with and without glaucoma.