Latinos with African Ancestry Greater Risk of Glaucoma

"Latinos with African ancestry are at a higher risk for high pressure within the eye, a condition that if untreated can damage the optic nerve and impair vision, according to a report in the journal Ophthalmology," according to Medical News Today. "Greater African ancestry carried more risk for high intraocular pressure than high body mass index, older age and high blood pressure - factors known to contribute to increased pressure inside the eye. Researchers led by Xiaoyi Gao, associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences in the UIC College of Medicine, analyzed the genomes of 3,541 participants 40 and older from the Mexican American Glaucoma Genetic Study, part of the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study." Read more.