Dr. Eve J. Higginbotham, professor and chair of the Ophthalmology Department of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, discussed glaucoma on May 27, 2003, at a lecture co-sponsored by the Science, Technology & Business Division and the Health Services Office.

The traditional air puff test and similar tests that measure intraocular eye pressure are not adequate for the diagnosis of glaucoma, according to Dr. Higginbotham. Glaucoma is no longer recognized as simply high pressure within the eye but is now defined as an optic neuropathy that may or may not be associated with high pressure within the eye. The disease is now characterized by visual field loss, signs of optic nerve damage, or both.

The aging of the baby boomer population and the growing diversity of the U.S. population make public awareness of glaucoma increasingly important. People who are at the greatest risk of developing glaucoma include those who have a family history of the disease, the severely nearsighted, African Americans, Hispanics, diabetics, and people over the age of 65.