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All Eyes on Glaucoma™ Survey Results Fact Sheet
Awareness about glaucoma, a progressive eye disease that can result in serious vision loss and blindness, is extremely low, even among those who are at risk of the disease. Results of a new global survey sponsored by Pfizer Ophthalmics and supported by the World Glaucoma Association (WGA) and the World Glaucoma Patient Association (WGPA) show that the aging population is often ignoring the need to have regular eye examinations.
A multi-country survey of individuals ages 40 and above was conducted by the GfK Group. The survey included 4,352 people (2,020 males and 2,332 females) in seven countries including Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Global Survey Findings
Blindness: A significant fear factor
People over age 40 have a significant fear of going blind.
- Approximately twice as many respondents fear going blind than having heart disease or dying prematurely.
- About three-quarters (72%) of respondents said they believed that having glaucoma would impact their ability to drive, 64% said they may be unable to work and 56% said they would be unable to leave the house.
Eye exams are being ignored
Regular eye examinations are being ignored by many of those over the age of 40, even though they are at risk of progressive eye conditions.
- Approximately 60% of respondents had not visited an eye specialist in the last year.
- Nearly half of respondents ages 40–49 do not have regular eye examinations or think eye health is important.
- One fifth of those with existing eye problems don’t have an eye examination every two years.
- More than three quarters of respondents over 40 have not been told by their doctor to see an eye specialist, even though regular eye exams are recommended as you age.
- Approximately 60% of those at risk for developing glaucoma had not been advised to see an eye specialist by their doctor.
- In particular, only 40% of those with a family history of the condition had been recommended by their general physician to see an eye specialist.
Lack of Glaucoma Awareness
Awareness of glaucoma, a progressive eye disease that can result in serious vision loss and blindness, is extremely low even among those most at risk of the disease.
- More than one-quarter of respondents did not know about glaucoma.
- As many as 1 in 10 who have a family history of glaucoma did not know about the disease.
- Nearly 40% of respondents did not know that glaucoma is linked to blindness.
Eye pressure (called intraocular pressure) is being ignored by those at risk of glaucoma even though it is the only modifiable risk factor.
- Overall, more than half of respondents have never had their eye pressure checked.
- Particularly, more than 50% of those respondents in the over 60 age group had not had their eye pressure checked.
- Even among those with a history of glaucoma, 43% had not had their eye pressure checked.
Age did not influence the number of people who had their eye pressure checked.
- The same percentage of people, approximately 43%, had their eye pressure checked in the 40–49 age group as the over 60 age group, even though the risk of glaucoma increases with age.
- This is in contrast to blood pressure where the percentage of respondents who had talked to their doctor about blood pressure in the over 60 age group was 40% higher than in the 40–49 age group.
People are aware of the importance of checking their blood pressure, however this is not the case with eye pressure.
- Of those over 60, 50% more respondents had talked to their doctor about blood pressure, than had undergone an eye pressure check – even though twice as many respondents feared going blind than having heart disease.
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