Screening check
Should I be screened for glaucoma?
Glaucoma slowly damages the optic nerve and can lead to blindness. The US Preventive Services Task Force looked at whether adults 40 and older with no symptoms should be screened for its most common form in primary care. Check what it says for you.
About you
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What you will see
What the USPSTF says about glaucoma screening for you.
Educational only, not medical advice. This is not an eye test. See a clinician about any vision changes.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, May 2022 recommendation on screening for primary open-angle glaucoma. It is the current statement.
Validated in
Adults 40 and older seen in primary care who do not have signs or symptoms of glaucoma.
Limits
It is not an eye test and cannot tell whether you have glaucoma. It does not cover people with vision loss or other types of glaucoma.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Adults 40 and older without signs or symptoms | Evidence is insufficient to weigh the benefits and harms of screening for primary open-angle glaucoma | I |
The 2022 statement matches the 2013 one (USPSTF 2022). It does not apply to adults who have reported signs or symptoms of vision loss, or who have been diagnosed with other types of glaucoma, such as narrow- or closed-angle glaucoma or secondary open-angle glaucoma. Clinicians are asked to use their judgment about screening individual patients (USPSTF 2022).
Why it matters
Glaucoma is the second-leading cause of irreversible blindness in the US and the leading cause in Black and Hispanic/Latino people. It affects about 2.7 million people in the US, and the number rises with age, from 250,000 people aged 40 to 49 to 1.5 million aged 70 or older (USPSTF 2022). Primary open-angle glaucoma usually causes a gradual loss of side (peripheral) vision, central vision or both. In most people, serious vision loss does not happen in the first 10 years after diagnosis (USPSTF 2022).
Why the evidence falls short
Tests such as eye imaging (optical coherence tomography), eye pressure measurement (tonometry) and visual field testing can find open-angle glaucoma, but they need specialized equipment and are not common in primary care (USPSTF 2022). Treatment with eye drops or laser therapy reduces eye pressure, visual field loss and optic nerve damage, but there was not enough evidence that this improves vision, daily function or quality of life (USPSTF 2022). Because not everyone diagnosed goes on to lose vision, screening can lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment; treatment harms include eye irritation from drops and cataracts after surgery (USPSTF 2022).
Common questions
Who is at higher risk?
Older age, a family history of glaucoma, and Black or Hispanic/Latino race or ethnicity. Black people have the highest prevalence, faster progression and earlier symptoms. Eye findings such as raised eye pressure, a thinner cornea and a large cup-to-disc ratio also raise the risk (USPSTF 2022).
Does high eye pressure mean glaucoma?
Not always. Many people with open-angle glaucoma do not have raised eye pressure, and not everyone with raised pressure has or will develop glaucoma (USPSTF 2022).
Should I still have an eye exam?
The USPSTF statement is about screening in primary care. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends a baseline comprehensive eye exam at age 40, with later exams based on age and risk factors (USPSTF 2022).
Also see the vision screening check for older adults, the diabetes screening check and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2022;327(20):1992-1997. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/primary-open-angle-glaucoma-screening
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-30. Spotted an error? See About.