African Americans Face Greater Glaucoma Risk

Glaucoma is a form of eye disease that can slowly rob a person of vision. Because it damages the optic nerve gradually and presents no symptoms for many years, it's often called "the sneak thief of sight." While glaucoma is a concern for anyone middle-aged or older, Dr. Leon Herndon, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Duke University Eye Center, says the disease strikes one group faster, earlier and harder than any other. "The greatest risk factor for glaucoma is being of African-American ethnicity. Blacks have a four to six times higher rate of glaucoma than their white counterparts. If you're an African American, your risk is extremely high. And if you have a family history of glaucoma, that increases your risk." If glaucoma is detected early, treatment options include medication, laser treatments and, ultimately, surgery. Herndon says the key is early screening and detection, and this should start even earlier for African Americans. "The indications for screening processes are earlier with the African-American race. We say by age 40, if you're an African American, you should have a dilated eye examination once a year." I'm Cabell Smith for MedMinute.