[Factor analysis of the risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Genetics
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most prevalent form of glaucoma.
• Further research into the pathogenetic aspects of POAG is needed, focusing on clinical, functional, and genetic risk factors.
• Modern mathematical analysis methods are essential for understanding the correlations between these risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the significance of various risk factors in the development of POAG.
• To utilize multivariate analysis of variance for assessing risk factor importance.
• To identify key indicators associated with POAG development.

Main Methods:

• Inclusion of 348 patients (stages I-IV POAG) and 48 controls, aged 45-87.
• Comprehensive ophthalmological and molecular genetic examinations.
• Statistical processing using IBM SPSS Statistics v.21, including principal component analysis and varimax rotation.

Main Results:

• Factor analysis identified significant risk indicators for POAG.
• Key factors include age, comorbidity index, cataract, pseudoexfoliative syndrome, and anterior chamber angle pigmentation intensity.
• These factors accounted for 16.75% of the total variance in POAG development.

Conclusions:

• Factor analysis is a valuable multivariate method for studying POAG risk factors.
• This approach aids in understanding the association between risk factors and POAG.
• The findings contribute to earlier diagnosis and identification of clinical/functional disease features.