Cases of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) could reach 8.84 million by 2030, according to a report by analytics company GlobalData.
Factors such as an ageing population, comorbid conditions and delayed access to health care facilities contributed to a rising prevalence in the US, Japan, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
GlobalData also found that more than half of POAG cases remained undiagnosed in those seven countries in 2020 because of its asymptomatic nature in its earlier stages.
Bishal Bhandari, senior epidemiologist at GlobalData, said: ‘The increasing number of the aging population with undiagnosed POAG suggests that the POAG related blindness will continue to rise even with improvements in surgical and laser treatment and the development of newer medications and eye drops.’