Symptomatic Presbyopia may Develop Earlier in Patients With Glaucoma-A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Cohort Study

The purpose of this study was to explore risk factors for symptomatic presbyopia, defined as near add power ≥1.50 diopters, in patients with glaucoma.

Treated glaucoma (n = 56), untreated glaucoma (n = 21), and control individuals (n = 376), aged 40 to 55 years at first visit, were enrolled in the study, and near add power, retinal thickness, and visual field were examined. The association between near add power and ocular parameters and the odds ratios (ORs) for symptomatic presbyopia were investigated. Survival analysis for symptomatic presbyopia was conducted.

Age, astigmatic power, mean deviation, and ganglion cell complex thickness were associated with near add power. The OR for symptomatic presbyopia was significant for age (OR = 1.51), astigmatism (OR = 1.01), mean deviation (OR = 0.72), ganglion cell complex thickness (OR = 0.98), treated and untreated glaucoma (OR = 2.09), and use of glaucoma eye drops (OR = 3.33). Survival analysis showed that the treated glaucoma group reached the near add power endpoint of ≥1.50 D (symptomatic presbyopia) significantly earlier than the other two groups, and there was no difference between the control and untreated glaucoma groups.

Glaucoma patients treated with eye drops may start near correction earlier.

Symptomatic presbyopia may develop earlier in patients with glaucoma, and our findings could further contribute to better management and understanding of presbyopia with glaucoma.