Risk of Glaucoma with Maternal Family History
If your mother has glaucoma but your father does not, you have approximately 2-9 times higher odds of developing glaucoma compared to someone with no family history, and you should begin comprehensive ophthalmologic screening by age 40 (earlier if you are African American or Latino). 1
Quantified Risk with One Parent Affected
The evidence demonstrates substantial increased risk when a first-degree relative has glaucoma:
Having any first-degree relative (parent or sibling) with primary open-angle glaucoma increases your odds by 9.2-fold according to the Rotterdam Eye Study, which represents the highest quantified risk from major epidemiologic studies 1
The Baltimore Eye Survey found a more conservative 1.92-fold increased odds, while the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study reported 2.85-fold increased odds for any first-degree relative with glaucoma 1
These varying estimates likely reflect different populations studied and diagnostic criteria, but all consistently demonstrate significantly elevated risk 1
Maternal vs. Paternal Transmission Pattern
An intriguing finding suggests differential risk based on which parent is affected:
Historical research found that maternal family history of glaucoma was 6-7 times more prevalent than paternal family history in patients who developed primary open-angle glaucoma, suggesting possible maternal cytoplasmic factors in disease transmission 2
This maternal predominance was specifically observed in patients who progressed to glaucomatous field loss, not just elevated eye pressure alone 2
While this older study (1977) raises interesting questions about inheritance patterns, the current clinical approach treats any first-degree relative history as significant risk regardless of whether it's maternal or paternal 1
Critical Screening Recommendations
You should begin comprehensive ophthalmologic screening by age 40, which should include: 1
- Intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement
- Optic disc examination
- Visual field testing
If you are African American or Latino, screening should begin earlier than age 40 due to higher baseline risk in these populations 1, 3
Important Clinical Caveats
Approximately 75% of glaucoma cases remain undiagnosed in the general population, meaning your mother's diagnosis actually represents the minority of cases—many relatives may have undiagnosed disease 1
Family history reporting is notoriously unreliable, so even if other relatives report no glaucoma, they may simply be undiagnosed 1
Some patients develop glaucoma with normal intraocular pressure (normal-tension glaucoma), so you cannot rely on IOP alone for screening 4
Additional Risk Factors to Consider
Beyond family history, your overall risk is modified by: 3
- Age: Risk increases substantially after age 40 for African Americans/Latinos and after age 65 for Caucasians
- Central corneal thickness: Thinner corneas (<555 μm) confer higher risk
- Elevated intraocular pressure: Though not diagnostic by itself
- Optic disc characteristics: Larger cup-to-disc ratio or smaller neuroretinal rim area