Abstract
Purpose :
Few studies have examined structural and functional measurements of glaucoma severity by race and ethnicity. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the association between race and ethnicity and baseline glaucoma severity based on structure and function.
Methods :
Patients with reliable optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Humphrey visual field (VF) 24-2 tests between 1995 and 2022 at a university-based ophthalmology practice were included. T-tests were used to compare baseline retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness, and VF mean deviation (MD) across global and relevant sectoral metrics by race and ethnicity. A multivariable regression model was used to evaluate these associations after controlling for age and sex.
Results :
9,413 eyes from 4,986 patients were included (female, 58.1%; White 56.6%; Black, 15.6%; Asian, 15.9%; Hispanic, 12.0%). Compared to Whites and/or non-Hispanics, mean VF MD at presentation was worse among Black, Asian, and Hispanic patients and mean RNFL and GCL thicknesses were thinner among Black patients, but thicker among Asian and Hispanic patients (Table 1). Similar patterns were seen across global and sectoral metrics. These disparities remained significant in a multivariable regression model with adjustments for age and sex.
Conclusions :
Black, Asian, and Hispanic patients all had worse functional severity at presentation than Whites and non-Hispanics. Asian and Hispanic patients demonstrated better baseline structure but still worse function, suggesting that functional decline may start earlier in these groups. Demographic risk factors should be considered when monitoring glaucoma patients and forming treatment plans.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.