Genetic Glaucoma Risk Linked to Distinct Patterns of Vision Loss
A large-scale study led by Nazlee Zebardast, MD, MSc, suggests that genetic predisposition to different forms of open-angle glaucoma may be associated with specific patterns of visual field damage, potentially opening new avenues for personalized diagnosis and treatment.
Researchers analyzed 79,357 visual field tests from 11,572 patients with glaucoma and identified nine visual field archetypes. When they examined genetic risk scores in 1,517 participants, they found that individuals with higher genetic risk for primary open-angle glaucoma and normal-tension glaucoma were significantly more likely to develop paracentral vision defects. In contrast, those with genetic susceptibility to high-tension glaucoma showed lower odds of paracentral and peripheral defects but were instead associated with more severe, total vision loss patterns.