Both glaucoma and anemia produce losses in chromatic discrimination. A discrimination loss can frequently be seen prior to changes visible in fundoscopy. The etiology is assumed to be an absence of proper oxygenation due to raised interocular pressure that blocks the blood irrigation system, or to a deficiency in red blood cells, hemoglobin, or total blood volume. Results of this study show that: (a) if there is an appropriate early treatment, the patients with glaucomas and anemias can improve their chromatic vision; (b) the chromatic rests enable a follow-up of both pathologies; (c) early presentation of chromatic deficits could be due to cellular hypoxia; (d) iron-deficit anemias are similar in score values to the open-angle chronic glaucomas with a mild and/or medium loss of visual field. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.