On Oct. 18, 2024, a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology, found that approximately 4.22 million people in the United States have glaucoma (1.62% of adults ages 18 and older), and 1.49 million people (0.57% of adults ages 18 and older) have vision-affecting glaucoma, with substantial variation in prevalence across demographic subgroups, U.S. states, and counties in 2022.

Among those ages 40 and older, 2.56% have glaucoma and 0.91% have vision-affecting glaucoma. Previous estimates of glaucoma prevalence published in 2016 were 2.1% of adults ages 40 years and older, and did not include estimates for those under 40 years old, or estimates of vision-affecting glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases which cause loss of sight by damaging the optic nerve. Vision loss begins in periphery, or side vision, and can progress to total vision loss without successful treatment. At present, any vision lost to glaucoma cannot be regained.