Glaucoma is an eye disease that if untreated can damage the optic nerve, impair vision
and cause blindness. It is particularly sight threatening in that in its most
common form it doesn’t strike the patient with any warnings or symptoms. Thus,
becoming familiar with glaucoma risk factors is worthwhile for all
patients. While we have known for quite
some time about the increased risk among family members and certain ethnic and
racial backgrounds, those patients of Latino or African, ancestry are clearly
at greater risk for high pressure within the eye and thus should be aware of
the need for routine eye exams and glaucoma testing at the direction of their
eye doctor. Researchers from the UIC College of Medicine analyzed data from
3,541 participants 40 and older from the Mexican American Glaucoma Genetic
Study, part of the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study and found that as the percent
of African ancestry went up, intraocular pressure rose.
According
to a report in the journal Ophthalmology, African ancestry
carried more risk for high intraocular pressure than high body mass index,
older age and high blood pressure-factors known to contribute to increased
pressure inside the eye. The key to preventing vision loss from glaucoma is
early detection, diagnosis and treatment.
If you or some you know has known glaucoma risk factors
including diabetes, high blood pressure, is a smoker, has a family history of
glaucoma, obesity or suffers from sleep apnea and you are of Latino or African
ancestry, it is quite important that you have regular eye exams and glaucoma
testing. Please call The Eye Care & Surgery
Center at 908-789-8999, visit The
Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or
facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.
