Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a prevalent disease that affects three million Americans. It is caused by damage to the optic nerve which often results in vision loss. Many of the symptoms are subtle at first and as a result, the disease is not caught early on. Though there is no cure, the disease’s negative effects can be reduced if it is caught early on. New healthcare plans that encompass vision care are offered as a way to aid in glaucoma prevention.A significant risk factor for glaucoma is increased eye pressure. This eye pressure results from a buildup of fluid called aqueous pressure. (Liberale et al. (2020) ) A progression of glaucoma can eventually lead to permanent vision loss. There are three types of glaucoma, but the open angle is the most common. Open-angle glaucoma occurs when the drainage system is not functioning properly, leading to elevated eye pressure.  

 A progression of glaucoma can eventually lead to permanent vision loss

Open-angle glaucoma is more common in Black and Latinx populations. According to the Baltimore Eye Survey, individuals of African ancestry were six times the amount of European-American individuals affected. African Americans are also six times as likely to have blindness with glaucoma than European Americans. Some causes are arterial hypertension and diabetes, more prevalent in African-American and Latin populations. Furthermore, arteriosclerotic vascular disease can promote ocular vascular compromise. (Siegfried and Shui (2022))

To mediate these effects, preventative measures should be taken. Regular eye exams can help to catch glaucoma early on and reduce the progression of the disease. Additionally, maintaining a healthy weight, being active, controlling blood pressure, and avoiding smoking are ways to prevent glaucoma from worsening. (CDC 2020)  In order to address this issue, healthcare in the USA could expand to include vision care. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers are not required to offer routine vision checkups for adults. Therefore, a new policy that requires insurers to provide vision care and targets more vulnerable groups, such as Hispanic and African American populations,  is a promising solution. 

Bibliography

1. CDC. 2020. “Don’t Let Glaucoma Steal Your Sight!” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. November 24, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/resources/features/glaucoma-awareness.html#:~:text=Maintaining%20a%20healthy%20weight%2C%20controlling.
2. ‌“Glaucoma – Symptoms and Causes.” n.d. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20372839#:~:text=Glaucoma%20develops%20when%20the%20optic.
3. ‌Liberale, Luca, Fabrizio Montecucco, Jean-Claude Tardif, Peter Libby, and Giovanni G Camici. 2020. “Inflamm-Ageing: The Role of Inflammation in Age-Dependent Cardiovascular Disease.” European Heart Journal 41 (31): 2974–82. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz961.
4. ‌Siegfried, Carla J, and Ying-Bo Shui. 2022. “Racial Disparities in Glaucoma: From Epidemiology to Pathophysiology.” Missouri Medicine 119 (1): 49–54. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9312450/.
5. ‌“How Is Vision Care Covered under the Affordable Care Act?” 2023. Healthinsurance.org. June 29, 2023. https://www.healthinsurance.org/faqs/how-is-vision-care-covered-under-the-affordable-care-act/#:~:text=The%20Affordable%20Care%20Act%20requires.