Prevalence and Risk Factors of Glaucoma Among Chinese People From the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

Précis: This study demonstrated the prevalence of self-reported glaucoma and its strong association with preexisting systemic chronic diseases in China using the baseline data from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a nationwide population-based cohort. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to estimate the prevalence of self-reported glaucoma and its risk factors using data from the CHARLS. Materials and Methods: Data on age, sex, area of residence, education, marital status, health-related behaviors, and preexisting comorbidities for this cross-sectional study were retrieved from the CHARLS for 17,713 subjects who completed a questionnaire between June 2011 and March 2012. The prevalence of glaucoma was estimated, and a multivariate weighted analysis was performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of its risk factors. Results: Of 16,599 respondents (93.7%) who answered questions regarding glaucoma and their history of systemic chronic diseases, 314 (1.89%) reported having glaucoma before the index date. Qinghai and Beijing had the highest prevalence of glaucoma in China. Glaucoma was significantly associated with hypertension [OR: 1.362; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.801–2.470], diabetes (OR: 2.597; 95% CI, 1.661–10.207), dyslipidemia (OR: 1.757; 95% CI, 1.157–3.650), lung disease (OR: 2.098; 95% CI, 1.674–6.527), stroke (OR: 5.278; 95% CI, 1.094–25.462), heart disease (OR: 1.893; 95% CI, 1.237–3.363), and health-related behaviors such as smoking and alcohol consumption after adjusting for age, sex, area, education, marital status, and medical insurance. Conclusions: Geographic variation in the prevalence of self-reported glaucoma and its strong association with preexisting systemic chronic diseases were observed, suggesting that in addition to ophthalmological examinations, regular physical examinations are necessary for glaucoma patients, especially in areas of high incidence. Appropriate strategies to improve preventive measures for glaucoma are recommended for the Chinese population.