A Study of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma in Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Primary Open Angle glaucoma is typically asymptomatic until significant visual field loss has occurred. Patients usually present with significant visual field loss in one eye and advanced disease in the other. It is associated with irreversible blindness. Thus, the public health importance of detecting undiagnosed and treatable glaucoma is important, as blindness has economic and social consequences for the rest of an individual’s life. Also there is an increase in the incidence of diabetes mellitus in the general population. So it is important to establish the association between diabetes mellitus and primary open angle glaucoma, as it is an important public health issue. From our study, we come to a conclusion that there is an excess of POAG in diabetic population, which is 4.0% (as compared to 2.1% in normal population), thereby showing an association between primary open angle glaucoma and diabetes.