Characteristics of Patients Receiving Treatment Who Deny A Diagnosis Glaucoma or Elevated Intraocular Pressure in the United States

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of patients in the US population who are receiving long-term intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering medication, but, deny having a diagnosis of glaucoma or elevated IOP. Materials and Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a home-based survey of a cross-sectional, representative, stratified sample of the US population every 2 years. Questions on prescription medication use are asked in every survey cycle, and patients were questioned whether they had ever been diagnosed with glaucoma or elevated IOP in the 2005-2006 and 2007-2008 surveys. During these 2 cycles, there were 7081 participants over age 40 of whom 135 endorse at least one year of topical IOP-lowering medication and were included in the final study. Results: A total of 8.8% of Americans taking IOP-lowering medications for at least one year denied a diagnosis of glaucoma or high eye pressure. Patients taking more medications were more likely to endorse their diagnosis. Conclusions: Over 150,000 Americans being treated for glaucoma or ocular hypertension may be unaware or deny a glaucoma diagnosis. Improving this awareness may enhance adherence. Patient awareness of their diagnosis is essential to quality care.