Glaucoma is a growing eye disease. Forecasts indicate that globally about 79 million people will suffer from glaucoma in less than two years and 111 million will be affected by 2040numbers that speak for themselves bearing in mind that the glaucoma is one of the world's leading causes of blindness.
Among the many risk factors underlying the onset of the disease is also included the socio-economic status of the subject. In fact, several studies have shown a mostly inverse correlation between income, education and glaucoma. In particular, those with a low economic income often accompanied by reduced education are more likely to suffer from diseases, including glaucoma. This seems to be logically explained by the fact that people with economic difficulties may have greater difficulty in accessing healthcare, in addition to the fact that having a lower level of education they may be less aware of the importance of prevention as a means of reducing the likelihood of the occurrence of certain even serious diseases.
What the latest research says: status socio-economic and glaucoma
Recently, a study published in Current Eye Research analysed precisely the correlation between glaucoma and status socio-economic. The study was conducted on approximately 45,000 participants all suffering from glaucoma, divided into 5 different age groups and 4 different levels of education: primary, middle, high school and university.
Likewise, the subjects were divided into 7 different occupational profiles to which a certain income corresponded. The results of the survey showed that the prevalence of glaucomatous disease was higher in low-income individuals, while the prevalence of glaucoma decreased as the level of education increased. In addition to this, the appearance of the ocular pathology grew with age of the subject, ranging from 1% for subjects under 40 years of age to 9.2% for those aged 70 and over. The same trend was observed when the presence of glaucoma was analysed taking into account employment status: a percentage of 4.9% for those working in agriculture to only 1.8% for managerial occupations.
It is therefore clear that a higher socio-economic level reflects a greater awareness of the individual of the possibility of certain diseases in general and glaucoma in particular . High income also contributes to an acceleration of the diagnostic process of diseasesAll this translates into a better form of prevention, immediate diagnosis and early treatment, factors that contribute to a reduction in the prevalence of glaucoma in this category of subjects.
Source
Shin Ah Oh S et al. Socioeconomic Status and Glaucoma: Associations in High Levels of Income and Education Current Eye Research 2018 15:1-6.
Dr. Carmelo Chines
Direttore responsabile
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