title: Prevalence of glaucoma. The Beaver Dam Eye Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of glaucoma in the population participating in the Beaver Dam Eye Study (n = 4926).
  
  
  METHODS
  All subjects were examined according to standard protocols, which included applanation tonometry, examination of the anterior chamber, perimetry, grading of fundus photographs of the optic disc, and a medical history interview. Visual field, cup-to-disc ratio, and intraocular pressure (IOP) criteria were used to define the presence of open-angle glaucoma. Definite open-angle glaucoma was defined by the presence of any two or all three of the following: abnormal visual field, large or asymmetric cup-to-disc ratio, high IOP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of definite open-angle glaucoma was 2.1%. The prevalence increased with age from 0.9% in people 43 to 54 years of age to 4.7% in people 75 years of age or older. There was no significant effect of sex after adjusting for age. Of the 104 cases of definite open-angle glaucoma, 33 had IOPs less than 22 mmHg in the involved eye. Hemorrhage on the optic disc was found in 46 people; 2 of these had glaucoma. Narrow-angle glaucoma was rare, with two definite cases in the population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of open-angle glaucoma in Beaver Dam is similar to that in other white populations. Findings from this study re-emphasize the notion that estimates of glaucoma prevalence should be based on assessing multiple risk indicators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53792.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Sponsel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Cantor
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martone
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Menage
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology