Physical Activity, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Incident Glaucoma

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Preventive Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
• Understanding modifiable risk factors like physical activity and fitness is crucial for prevention.
• Prospective studies are needed to establish causal links between lifestyle factors and glaucoma incidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between physical activity levels and cardiorespiratory fitness with the incidence of glaucoma.
• To determine if meeting physical activity guidelines impacts glaucoma risk.
• To assess the combined effect of physical activity and fitness on glaucoma development.

Main Methods:

• A prospective observational study involving 9519 participants aged 40-81.
• Physical activity assessed via self-reported leisure-time activities.
• Cardiorespiratory fitness measured using maximal treadmill tests.
• Glaucoma incidence defined by physician diagnosis and analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression.
• Adjustments made for numerous potential confounding factors including age, sex, smoking, and chronic diseases.

Main Results:

• A total of 128 incident glaucoma cases were identified over a mean follow-up of 5.7 years.
• Individuals meeting physical activity guidelines (≥500 MET·min·wk) showed a 47% lower risk of glaucoma (HR=0.53).
• High cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with a 40% reduced risk of glaucoma compared to low fitness (HR=0.60).
• The combination of meeting physical activity guidelines and high fitness demonstrated the lowest glaucoma risk (HR=0.49).

Conclusions:

• Meeting physical activity guidelines is associated with a reduced risk of developing glaucoma.
• Higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are linked to a lower incidence of glaucoma.
• Combined adherence to physical activity recommendations and maintaining good fitness offers significant protection against glaucoma.