The prevalence and incidence of glaucoma in Norway 2004–2018: A nationwide population-based study

Abstract

Purpose To describe prevalence, life-time prevalence and incidence of glaucoma in Norway over a 15-year period. Materials and methods Data from The Norwegian Prescription Database was used to identify all prescriptions for glaucoma medication during the period 2004 to 2018. Population figures and lifespan data were obtained from The National Bureau of Statistics. Results Of a population of 5.3 million, a total of 75733 patients using glaucoma eye drops were identified in 2018. The national prevalence was thus 1.4%, whilst in those over 70 years of age, 8.0%. When divided into counties, the prevalence varied between 1.1 and 1.9%. Overall, the prevalence was stable in the period 2004–2018. Life time prevalence was found to be 9.4% for men and 10.2% for women. National one-year incidence proportion per 10000 was 17.0 for the total population and a peak incidence of 93.8/10000 in the 80–89 year age group was identified. Conclusions Glaucoma prevalence remained stable during the period 2004–2018, while incidence decreased slightly in the elderly population.