Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the U.S.
A primary screening tool for glaucoma is measurement of IOP. The mean IOP of a U.S. patient is 15 mm Hg, and the standard deviation rounded up is 3 mm Hg. Classical teaching is that a patient with a third standard deviation IOP, which is 22 mm Hg or higher, has ocular hypertension and is a glaucoma suspect deserving further evaluation. If every one of the 350 million Americans had their IOP checked, 2.5%, or about 8.75 million, would (Read more...)