Is Myopia the Next Glaucoma Epidemic?

At the Glaucoma 360 Symposium, Dr. Shan C. Lin presented his recently published study investigating the association between myopia and the prevalence of glaucoma in the United States. He and co-author Dr. Kuldev Singh found that high myopia is associated with a 14-fold increased risk for visual field defects compared to people who don’t have glaucoma. Even low myopes had a 2-fold increased risk. But is this really glaucoma or a form of myopic optic neuropathy? Is there a need for greater surveillance among myopes?

Financial Disclosures: Dr. Singh receives consulting fees from Alcon Laboratories, Allergan, Baush & Lomb, ForSight, Ivantis, Santen, Sucampo, and Transcend. Dr. Lin receives consulting fees from Allergan and Merck & Co.