Individuals with wet AMD may have a much lower rate of diagnosed glaucoma compared with patients with the dry form of the condition, new research published in Eye reports.

The study enrolled 3,991 AMD patients who were over the age of 55. The investigators further classified each participant by subtype and glaucoma severity and reviewed charts of those patients without glaucoma-related diagnoses to determine potential underdiagnosis.

The researchers observed a significantly lower rate of diagnosed open-angle glaucoma in wet AMD participants (about 6%) compared with patients with dry AMD (about 9%). Similarly, the rate of suspected glaucoma was significantly lower in the first group compared with the second (roughly 12% vs. 18%, respectively).

Also of note: more patients with wet AMD (approximately 14%) met clinical risk criteria compared with those with dry AMD (about 7%). When these at-risk patients were added to their respective groups, the rates of glaucoma and glaucoma suspects were similar.

Mergen B, Ramsey DJ. Underdiagnosis of glaucoma in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration. Eye (Lond). February 3, 2021. [Epub ahead of print].