Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and Ocular Pressure according to Facial Flushing in Korean Men with Obesity

This study aimed to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption and intraocular pressure (IOP) according to facial flushing in Korean men with obesity.

The study included 479 Korean men with a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 (75 non-drinkers, 174 with drinking-related facial flushing, and 230 without facial flushing) who underwent health check-ups between October 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between alcohol consumption and high IOP (≥21 mm Hg).

Flushers consuming ≤16 drinks per week had a significantly higher risk of high IOP than non-drinkers, depending on alcohol consumption (≤8 standard drinks: odds ratio [OR], 4.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05- 19.25; >8 but ≤16 standard drinks: OR, 8.14; 95% CI, 1.37-48.45). However, when the consumption was >16 drinks per week, the high IOP risk did not significantly increase (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.05-10.69). In addition, there was no significant relationship between alcohol consumption and high IOP among non-flushers consuming ≤8 drinks per week (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 0.52-8.19). However, a significantly increased risk of high IOP was observed among nonflushers consuming >8 drinks per week, depending on alcohol consumption (>8 but ≤16 standard drinks: OR, 4.84; 95% CI, 1.14-20.61; >16 standard drinks: OR, 4.08; 95% CI, 1.02-16.26).

This study suggests that obese men with alcohol flush reactions may have an increased risk of high IOP with the consumption of smaller amounts of alcohol than non-flushers.