Glaucoma States. Both internationally and in the United States, glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness. Globally, cataracts are a more common cause. Glaucoma is also the leading cause of blindness in African Americans, who have higher rates of primary open-angle glaucoma. Bilateral vision loss can negatively affect mobility and interfere with driving. A meta-analysis published in 2009 found that people with primary open angle glaucoma do "not" have increased mortality rates, or increased risk of cardiovascular death. The association of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and the eye disease glaucoma was first described by Englishman Richard Bannister in 1622: "...that the
Glaucoma 2 million people in the United States. It occurs more commonly among older people. Closed-angle glaucoma is more common in women. Glaucoma has been called the "silent thief of sight" because the loss of vision usually occurs slowly over a long period of time. Worldwide, glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness after cataracts. The word "glaucoma" is from Ancient Greek "glaukos" which means blue, green, or gray. In English, the word was used as early as 1587 but did not become commonly used until after 1850, when the development of the ophthalmoscope allowed people to see the optic nerve