Acute angle closure glaucoma of the right eye (intraocular pressure was 42 in the right eye). Credit: James Heilman, MD/Wikipedia

Worldwide, the burden of glaucoma—quantified as health loss—is higher in men than in women, according to a recent analysis published in Acta Ophthalmologica.

The burden of glaucoma was estimated as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), or the total number of years lost to illness, disability, or . DALY rates decreased consistently from 10.7 in 1990 to 9.4 in 2017 among men and from 8.8 in 1990 to 8.0 in 2017 among women. In 2017, the global average age-standardized DALY rates were 11.6 in women and 14.9 in men.

The analysis also found that and lower socioeconomic status are associated with greater sex differences in the burden of glaucoma.

More information: Xin Ye et al, Association of sex with the global burden of glaucoma: an analysis from the global burden of disease study 2017, Acta Ophthalmologica (2020). DOI: 10.1111/aos.14330

Provided by Wiley