Heredity of Glaucoma

Some glaucomas run in families. The child of a person with the commonest type of glaucoma in the United States, specifically, primary open-angle glaucoma, will have about a ten times increased chance of developing glaucoma. With angle-closure glaucoma, almost one third of the offspring may be affected. Brothers and sisters are at an even higher risk. When vision loss from glaucoma has occurred in a parent, the offspring are more likely to lose sight themselves.

Around 15 genes have already been identified in patients with glaucoma. Many more will be discovered. Wills Eye has provided blood specimens for many of the past and current studies of this important matter.

Racial characteristics are closely related to glaucoma. East Asians (Chinese, Malaysians, etc.) are likely to get angle-closure glaucomas. Persons of African descent are eight times more likely to go blind from glaucoma than are those of other races.