Incidence of glaucoma, worldwide blindness expected to rise by 2030

PHILADELPHIA — As the population ages and life expectancy increases, the effects of open-angle glaucoma will become an increasingly greater burden on society, especially in the developing world, according to a surgeon speaking here.

"Our challenge as a profession is to come up with cheap, safe, effective and available treatments for glaucoma," said Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, who opened the scientific program of a meeting celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Wills Eye Hospital glaucoma fellowship program.

During his introduction, program chairman George L. Spaeth, MD, charged former fellows and guests to think globally about glaucoma as well as about its effect on the individual.

Dr. Varma estimated that by 2030, individuals older than 65 will represent 13% of the world’s population, with most of the increase borne by the developing world. The prevalence of open-angle glaucoma increases "sharply and almost exponentially" after age 65, he added.

Therefore, the incidence of worldwide glaucoma — currently 1% — will more than double in the next 3 decades, he said. He noted that the biggest burden will fall on the developing world, where there is a lack of diagnostic tools that are not only accurate but easy to use and affordable.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness, with more than 10% of those afflicted, or 7.6 million people, bilaterally blind, according to Dr. Varma.