ArticleOphthalmology. Glaucoma
Loss to Follow-up and Risk of Incident Blindness among Patients with Glaucoma in the IRIS® Registry.
Article in Ophthalmology. Glaucoma. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Loss to follow-up and increase in cup-to-disc ratio among glaucoma patients in the IRIS Registry.Canadian journal of ophthalmology. Journal canadien d'ophtalmologie · 2026Article
- Identification of Risk Factors for Glaucoma Progression in Free-Text Clinical Notes Using a Local Large Language Model.Translational vision science & technology · 2026Article
- Challenges and Limitations of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty in Modern Glaucoma Management: A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Patient-Portal Messages Reengage Glaucoma Patients after Loss to Follow-Up.Ophthalmology. GlaucomaArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
purposeTo assess the association between loss to follow-up (LTFU) and risk of incident blindness among a national registry cohort of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).
designRetrospective longitudinal cohort study.
participantsPatients with a POAG diagnosis who had at least 2 visual acuity (VA) measurements documented in the IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) in both 2014 and 2019.
methodsLoss to follow-up was defined as a calendar year or more without an encounter. Univariable and multivariable robust log-Poisson regression models were used to estimate the risk of incident blindness, with intervals of LTFU as the primary exposure of interest. Effect modification by baseline characteristics on the association between LTFU and incident blindness was also assessed.
main outcome measuresIncident blindness in 1 or both eyes (VA ≤ 20/200) in 2019 among patients who were not blind in 2014.
resultsAmong the 149 172 patients, incident monocular blindness occurred in 6338 (4.2%), and incident binocular blindness occurred in 691 (0.5%) over the 6-year period. While most patients maintained follow-up every year (90%), 8.8% were LTFU for 1-2 years, and 1.1% were LTFU for 3-4 years. Patients with LTFU had greater risk of blindness. In an adjusted model that accounted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance, smoking status, glaucoma severity, baseline intraocular pressure, baseline cup-to-disc ratio, and history of glaucoma surgery, risk of incident monocular blindness was greater among patients with a lapse of 1-2 years (adjusted relative risk [aRR] = 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.35) or a lapse of 3-4 years (aRR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.66-2.78) compared to patients with no lapse in care. Race/ethnicity demonstrated a significant effect modification in the association between the longest lapse between encounters and the risk of blindness (P = 0.02). The risk of incident blindness after a lapse of 3-4 years (compared to no lapse) was higher among Black patients (aRR = 3.12, 95% CI: 2.06-4.76) than White patients (aRR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.37-2.73). No effect modifications were identified by other baseline variables.
conclusionsLoss to follow-up is an independent risk factor for incident blindness among patients with POAG. Lapses in care are particularly consequential for Black patients. Efforts to reduce LTFU may mitigate preventable glaucoma blindness. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.