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Assessing Early Stage Open-Angle Glaucoma in Patients by Isolated-Check Visual Evoked Potential
Published on: May 25, 2020
Anthropometric measures and their relation to incident primary open-angle glaucoma
Louis R Pasquale1, Walter C Willett, Bernard A Rosner
1Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. Louis_Pasquale@meei.harvard.edu
Ophthalmology
|April 13, 2010
Summary
Higher body mass index (BMI) in women was linked to a reduced risk of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) with lower intraocular pressure. This finding may offer insights into POAG development.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology and Public Health Research
- Epidemiology of Glaucoma
Background:
- Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
- The relationship between anthropometric measures, such as body mass index (BMI), and POAG risk requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between anthropometric measures and the incidence of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).
- To explore potential gender-specific differences in this relationship.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 78,777 women (Nurses' Health Study) and 41,352 men (Health Professionals Follow-up Study).
- Participants aged 40+ without POAG at baseline were followed from 1980/1986 to 2004, with data updated biennially.
- Multivariate rate ratios (MVRR) were calculated to assess the risk of incident POAG (980 cases identified).
Main Results:
- No significant overall association was found between cumulative average BMI and POAG.
- In women, a higher BMI was associated with a 6% reduced risk of POAG with intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤21 mmHg (MVRR, 0.94; P=0.01).
- This inverse association was primarily linked to weight, not height, and was specific to POAG with lower IOP, with no association observed for POAG with higher IOP or in men.
Conclusions:
- Increased BMI in women is associated with a decreased risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) with lower intraocular pressure (IOP).
- The observed gender-specific association, particularly the role of weight, may provide valuable insights into the underlying pathogenesis of POAG.
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