Prevalence of glaucoma in first-degree relatives of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and normal-tension glaucoma

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of glaucoma in first-degree relatives of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG). Methods: Observational study of first-degree relatives of patients with POAG and NTG who were screened for glaucoma. Results: A total of 66 first-degree relatives of patients with glaucoma (POAG/NTG) were included in the study. We found a prevalence rate of 16.6%: 13.6% were diagnosed to have the disease and 3% were newly detected to have glaucoma during the study. We found that although 66.7% of the subjects were aware of the family history of glaucoma, only 36.4% were aware that they were at increased risk of developing glaucoma. Conclusion: In our study, we found high prevalence of glaucoma in first-degree relatives of patients with glaucoma. This highlights the importance of selective screening of high-risk groups such as first-degree relatives of patients with POAG/NTG.