Who does glaucoma affect?

Glaucoma is an inherited condition, which means it runs in families. If you have a close relative - for instance, a parent, brother or sister - with glaucoma, you're at least four times more likely to get glaucoma yourself than someone without a family history of the condition.

The risk of glaucoma also increases as you get older, especially after the age of 40. It's estimated that the most common type of glaucoma (primary open-angle glaucoma) affects one to two people in every 100 over the age of 40 and four to five people in every 100 over the age of 80.

Your ethnic origin can also influence whether you're more likely to develop glaucoma. You're at particularly high risk if you are of Afro-Caribbean origin, for example. And if you are of Asian origin you're more prone to developing the less common type of glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma.

You've also a higher than average chance of developing glaucoma if you're very short-sighted, if you have diabetes and if you are female.

Glaucoma and other conditions

If you have glaucoma, you may also suffer from other long-term health problems. Researchers have shown that around half of all people with glaucoma also suffer from high blood pressure and that more than three in ten have diabetes or high cholesterol.

Find out more about diabetes

Find out more about high blood pressure

Find out more about high cholesterol

CA/SS/NON/0097 Date of preparation May 2013