Longitudinal analysis of age-related changes in intraocular pressure in South Korea

To assess the changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) with age in South Korea.

Subjects aged 20-79 who had been receiving health examinations at a university hospital were enrolled. They completed physical and ophthalmic examinations. Subjects with ocular disease that could possibly affect their IOP were excluded. The relationships between IOP and age, blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index, blood chemistry, and electrolyte were analyzed using a linear mixed model.

Of the 33 712 subjects, 31 857 participants were enrolled. In a cross-sectional analysis, IOP also showed a negative correlation in all age groups (respectively, P<0.001). In particular, patients in their 60s~80s had a less steep decreasing slope of IOP with age than patients in their 20s~30s (correlation coefficient -0.260 and -0.168, respectively). In longitudinal analysis, negative trend was shown in the slope of tendency in total subjects. When analyzing the effect of gender on the relationship between age and IOP, females had a less steep decreasing slope of IOP with age than males by 0.05 mm Hg. With regard to systemic parameters, systolic blood pressure and heart rate were positively correlated with IOP (P<0.001).

IOP was significantly decreased with age, although the amount of change was small. In women and older age groups, IOP was less decreased than that of men and young age groups. In addition, IOP was positively associated with systolic blood pressure and heart rate.