Relationship between intraocular pressure and systemic health parameters in the Korean population

This study examined the influence of age, sex, blood pressure, and obesity index on intraocular pressure (IOP), in order to investigate the relationship between the upper limits of the following two conditions in the general Korean population: the "systolic or diastolic hypertensive and obese" group and the "systolic or diastolic hypotensive and lean" group. A total of 6828 healthy subjects (13,656 eyes) underwent automated multi-phasic tests, including tonometry, blood pressure, visual field, and body mass index. The 6,828 subjects were divided into five groups based on age; less than 40, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and over 70 years old. They were also divided into four categories on the basis of sex, age, blood pressure, and obesity index. The mean IOP in males (15.8+/-3.3 mmHg) was significantly higher than in females (14.8+/-3.1 mmHg) (P < 0.05), but this difference decreased proportionally with increasing age. IOP had a tendency to decrease with increasing age (P < 0.05). IOP increased significantly with increasing systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and obesity index (all, P < 0.05). The mean IOP of the "systolic or diastolic hypertensive and obese" group was higher than that of the "systolic or diastolic hypotensive and lean" group in the general Korean population (P < 0.05). These data could aid investigation into the epidemiological, etiologic and oriental influences related to the risk factors of glaucoma, especially in oriental populations.