The Effect of Exercise on Intraocular Pressure and Glaucoma

A review of the literature found that certain types of exercise and physical activity result in transient reductions in intraocular pressure and may have a beneficial effect on glaucoma severity and progression.

Glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss worldwide. Raised intraocular pressure (IOP) is the most important risk factor for the disease. Exercise is known to result in changes in IOP. The purpose of this review was to investigate the effect of exercise on IOP and glaucoma.

A comprehensive search of multiple literature databases was performed. Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane libraries were used to search for the relevant terms. 16 original studies were selected for the review.

Exercise of varying intensity and type has differing effects on IOP. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise results in transient reductions in IOP, while high-intensity resistance exercise and weight-lifting lead to transient elevations in IOP. There is evidence to suggest that exercise and higher levels of fitness may be protective against the development of glaucoma. In addition, increased daily physical activity may be associated with less visual field progression in patients with glaucoma. While secondary causes of glaucoma are included in some of the studies discussed in this review, the findings are largely applicable to primary open angle glaucoma.

Exercise may be a beneficial lifestyle modification in the management of glaucoma; however, further longitudinal studies are required to validate this.