The disease is the second most common cause of blindness in the UK.
10:43, Wed, Jan 21, 2026 Updated: 10:45, Wed, Jan 21, 2026
Hundreds of thousands of people could be at risk of blindness due to glaucoma (Image: Getty)
More than half a million Brits could be at risk of blindness from an undiagnosed eye condition, researchers have found. The number of Brits with glaucoma, an incurable eye condition, is predicted to more than double by 2060, according to a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. University College London scientists found the number of people with glaucoma will rise to from 7000,000 to 1.6 million within four decades – a 60% uptick. Experts have warned that this might burden health and social care services, urging middle-aged people to book an eye test.
Glaucoma is a disease that involves a loss of peripheral vision due to damage to the optic nerve, which connects the eye and the brain and transmits visual information. If left untreated, it can result in permanent vision loss. According to Professor Paul Foster, the lead author from UCL and a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, half of glaucoma cases are undiagnosed.
Glaucoma can only be spotted by opticians (Image: Getty)
He said: "Glaucoma is a common cause of blindness, but it isn't symptomatic until its later stages, so regular tests are important for early diagnosis.
"Late diagnosis comes with a higher risk of sight loss and higher costs of care; over 40% of glaucoma patients in the UK experience vision loss that could have been prevented with earlier diagnosis and treatment such as eye drops or surgery."
He added: "Awareness campaigns encouraging people to get their eyes checked are also needed as part of targeted early detection strategies, particularly to address late diagnosis in underserved, hard-to-reach populations."
Using census data, the study's authors estimate that one million people in the UK currently have the condition, the equivalent of 3% of the population over the age of 40.
Researchers said the rise was a "timebomb" that would require "serious planning and action now". Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the UK, behind macular degeneration, and has no symptoms until a person begins to lose their vision. It can only be spotted by opticians. The condition disproportionately affects the elderly as well as those with diabetes or other eye conditions, including myopia and far-sightedness. There is currently no cure but the damage caused by the disease can be slowed down with treatments such as eye drops and surgery, The Telegraph reported.
Key symptoms according to the NHS
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Glaucoma does not usually have symptoms and it develops slowly over many years. It is usually picked up by routine eye tests.
Sometimes glaucoma can develop suddenly and cause symptoms such as:
intense eye pain
a red eye
tenderness around the eyes
seeing rainbow-coloured circles around bright lights
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