Global estimates on the number of people blind or visually impaired by glaucoma: A meta-analysis from 2000 to 2020
Authors:   Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study, Bourne Rupert R. A. , Jonas Jost B. , Friedman David , Nangia Vinay , Bron Alain , Tapply Ian , Fernandes Arthur G. , Cicinelli Maria Vittoria , Arrigo Alessandro , Leveziel Nicolas , Resnikoff Serge , Taylor Hugh R. , Sedighi Tabassom , Bikbov Mukkharram M. , Braithwaite Tasanee , Cheng Ching-Yu , Congdon Nathan , Del Monte Monte A. , Ehrlich Joshua R. , Fricke Tim , Furtado João M. , Gazzard Gus , George Ronnie , Hartnett M. Elizabeth , Kahloun Rim , Kempen John H. , Khairallah Moncef , Khanna Rohit C. , Kim Judy E. , Lansingh Van Charles , Leasher Janet , Naidoo Kovin S. , Nowak Michal , Pesudovs Konrad , Peto Tunde , Ramulu Pradeep , Topouzis Fotis , Tsilimbaris Mitiadis , Wang Ya Xing , Wang Ningli , Flaxman Seth ,   the GBD 2019 Blindness and Vision Impairment Collaborators, Bourne Rupert R. A. , Jonas Jost B. , Casson Robert James , Friedman David S. , Nangia Vinay , Bron Alain M. , Tapply Ian , Fernandes Arthur G. , Cicinelli Maria Vittoria , Leveziel Nicolas , Briant Paul Svitil , Vos Theo , Resnikoff Serge , Abate Yohannes Habtegiorgis , Abate Melsew Dagne , Dolatabadi Zahra Abbasi , Abdollahi Mozhan , Aboagye Richard Gyan , Abu-Gharbieh Eman , Aburuz Salahdein , Adnani Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah , Aghamiri Shahin , Ahinkorah Bright Opoku , Ahmad Danish , Ahmadieh Hamid , Ahmadzadeh Hooman , Ahmed Ayman , Alfaar Ahmad Samir , Alinia Cyrus , Almidani Louay , Amu Hubert , Androudi Sofia , Anil Abhishek , Arabloo Jalal , Areda Damelash , Ashraf Tahira , Bagherieh Sara , Baltatu Ovidiu Constantin , Baran Mehmet Firat , Barrow Amadou , Bashiri Azadeh , Bayileyegn Nebiyou Simegnew , Bazvand Fatemeh , Berhie Alemshet Yirga , Bhatti Jasvinder Singh , Bikbov Mukharram , Birck Marina G. , Bitra Veera R. , Bozic Marija M. , Braithwaite Tasanee , Burkart Katrin , Bustanji Yasser , Butt Zahid A. , Cenderadewi Muthia , Chattu Vijay Kumar , Coberly Kaleb , Dadras Omid , Dai Xiaochen , Dascalu Ana Maria , Dastiridou Anna , Devanbu Vinoth Gnana Chellaiyan , Dhimal Meghnath , Diaz Daniel , Do Thao Huynh Phuong , Do Thanh Chi , Dziedzic Arkadiusz Marian , Ehrlich Joshua R. , Ekholuenetale Michael , Elhadi Muhammed , Emamian Mohammad Hassan , Emamverdi Mehdi , Farrokhpour Hossein , Fetensa Getahun , Fischer Florian , Forouhari Ali , Fowobaje Kayode Raphael , Furtado João M. , Gandhi Aravind P. , Gebregergis Miglas W. W. , Goulart Bárbara Niegia Garcia , Gudeta Mesay Dechasa , Gupta Sapna , Gupta Vivek Kumar , Gupta Veer Bala , Heidari Golnaz , Hong Sung Hwi , Huynh Hong-Han , Ibitoye Segun Emmanuel , Ilic Irena M. , Immurana Mustapha , Jayapal Sathish Kumar , Joseph Nitin , Joshua Charity Ehimwenma , Kahloun Rim , Kandel Himal , Karaye Ibraheem M. , Kasraei Hengameh , Kebebew Getu Mosisa , Kempen John H. , KhalafAlla Mahmoud Tawfik , Khanal Sudarshan , Khatib Mahalaqua Nazli , Krishan Kewal , Lahariya Chandrakant , Leasher Janet L. , Lim Stephen S. , Marzo Roy Rillera , Maugeri Andrea , Meng Yang , Mestrovic Tomislav , Mishra Manish , Mohamed Nouh Saad , Mojiri-forushani Hoda , Mokdad Ali H. , Momeni-Moghaddam Hamed , Montazeri Fateme , Mulita Admir , Murray Christopher J. L. , Foodani Mahdi Nabi , Naik Ganesh R. , Natto Zuhair S. , Nayak Biswa Prakash , Negaresh Mohammad , Negash Hadush , Nguyen Dang H. , Oancea Bogdan , Olagunju Andrew T. , Olatubi Matthew Idowu , Osman Wael M. S. , Osuagwu Uchechukwu Levi , Padubidri Jagadish Rao , Panda-Jonas Songhomitra , Pardhan Shahina , Park Seoyeon , Patel Jay , Perianayagam Arokiasamy , Pesudovs Konrad , Pham Hoang Tran , Prates Elton Junio Sady , Qattea Ibrahim , Rahim Fakher , Rahman Mosiur , Rapaka Deepthi , Rawaf Salman , Rezaei Nazila , Roy Priyanka , Saddik Basema , Saeed Umar , Safi Sher Zaman , Safi Sare , Sakshaug Joseph W. , Saleh Mohamed A. , Samuel Vijaya Paul , Samy Abdallah M. , Saravanan Aswini , Seylani Allen , Shaikh Masood Ali , Shamim Muhammad Aaqib , Shannawaz Mohammed , Shashamo Bereket Beyene , Shayan Maryam , Shittu Aminu , Siddig Emmanuel Edwar , Singh Jasvinder A. , Solomon Yonatan , Sousa Raúl A. R. C. , Tabatabaei Seyyed Mohammad , Tabish Mohammad , Ticoalu Jansje Henny Vera , Toma Temesgen Mohammed , Tsatsakis Aristidis , Tsegay Guesh Mebrahtom , Valizadeh Rohollah , Viskadourou Maria , Wassie Gizachew Tadesse , Wickramasinghe Nuwan Darshana , Yon Dong Keon , You Yuyi , Flaxman Seth , Steinmetz Jaimie D. 
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To estimate global and regional trends from 2000 to 2020 of the number of persons visually impaired by glaucoma and their proportion of the total number of vision-impaired individuals.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis of published population studies and grey literature from 2000 to 2020 was carried out to estimate global and regional trends in number of people with vision loss due to glaucoma. Moderate or severe vision loss (MSVI) was defined as visual acuity of 6/60 or better but <6/18 (moderate) and visual acuity of 3/60 or better but <6/60 (severe vision loss). Blindness was defined as presenting visual acuity <3/60.

Results

Globally, in 2020, 3.61 million people were blind and nearly 4.14 million were visually impaired by glaucoma. Glaucoma accounted for 8.39% (95% uncertainty intervals [UIs]: 6.54, 10.29) of all blindness and 1.41% (95% UI: 1.10, 1.75) of all MSVI. Regionally, the highest proportion of blindness relating to glaucoma was found in high-income countries (26.12% [95% UI: 20.72, 32.09]), while the region with the highest age-standardized prevalence of glaucoma-related blindness and MSVI was Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2000 and 2020, global age-standardized prevalence of glaucoma-related blindness among adults ≥50 years decreased by 26.06% among males (95% UI: 25.87, 26.24), and by 21.75% among females (95% UI: 21.54, 21.96), while MSVI due to glaucoma increased by 3.7% among males (95% UI: 3.42, 3.98), and by 7.3% in females (95% UI: 7.01, 7.59).

Conclusions

Within the last two decades, glaucoma has remained a major cause of blindness globally and regionally.