Glaucoma: black patients six times more likely to have advanced vision loss than white patients

New research published in Translational Vision Science & Technology has examined racial disparities in the level of vision loss following a new diagnosis of primary open angle glaucoma.

Scientists from the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai applied an artificial intelligence algorithm to three prospective US population-based health professional cohorts who were free of glaucoma at the beginning of the study.

They found that black patients had a higher risk of early central and advanced visual field loss when compared to non-Hispanic white patients.

The researchers determined that black patients within the study were six times more likely to experience advanced visual field loss.

The participants within the studies were health professionals with a similar level of access to health care.

Only participants who reported an eye examination within the past two years were included within the analysis.

“It is unlikely that eye care access differences drove the racial/ethnic differences observed,” the researchers stated.

They added that genetic factors might be at play, with previous research finding that African ancestry is independently associated with a higher glaucoma risk.