The importance of family history in the risk of open-angle glaucoma

Objective: We aim to carry out a topic review on the available literature about the relationship between family history of glaucoma and the development of primary open-angle glaucoma in such a way that we can provide ophthalmologists, non-ophthalmologists, optometrists, and all those involved in visual health care a general understanding of this relationship. Methods: A bibliographic search of manuscripts published in English and Spanish was carried out using PubMed and Scopus databases. For the search, the following terms were used: glaucoma, open-angle, family history, and risk factors. From the retrieved articles, those relevant to this review's topic were selected. Findings and conclusions: A family history of glaucoma is an essential risk factor for suffering from this disease, as demonstrated by both population-based epidemiological and clinical studies. This association is more robust in first-degree blood relatives, especially when those affected are siblings of the index case. The preceding justifies screening these patients due to the increased risk of suffering from an illness that can lead to visual disability.