Public Health & Health Science Division, ULAB

In this paper, we will focus on the demographic and clinical factors that cause open-angleglaucoma. Open-angle glaucoma is a progressive eye disease that increases intraocular pressure (IOP), eventually leading to optic nerve damage and vision loss. Currently, researchers have focused on IOP,depression, sleep apnea, and decreased outer nasal macular perfusion density as strong clinical indicators of glaucoma. Conditions like depression can lead to chronic stress physiology changes, leading to IOP. Sleep apnea is associated with intermittent hypoxia and vascular dysregulation, and decreased nasal macular perfusion density is associated with reduced retinal microvascular circulation, leading to degeneration of the optic nerve. Demographic factors like age and access to medical education also play a significant role, especially since glaucoma remains underdiagnosed in underdeveloped regions due to limited ophthalmologic resources and medical education. Aging is also associated with increased IOP due to a less efficient eye drainage system. While many of these predictors are linked to elevated IOP, IOPalone is not a sufficient predictor of glaucoma risk; it must be interpreted within the broader clinical and demographic context.