The Association Between Intermittent Fasting and Glaucoma

Intermittent fasting was not associated with a decreased risk of glaucoma diagnosis overall.

To examine the association between intermittent fasting ("breakfast skipping") and glaucoma in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Retrospective, cross-sectional study of adult participants of the 2005-2008 NHANES aged 40 years and older. Intermittent fasting was defined as skipping breakfast on both days of the NHANES dietary interview. Glaucoma was defined by (1) self-reported glaucoma diagnosis, (2) cup-to-disc (CDR) ≥0.6 in at least one eye, and (3) possible, probable, or definite glaucoma based on clinical judgment of retinal imaging of individuals with CDR ≥0.6 in at least one eye. Covariates included age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index, blood pressure, and waist circumference. χ 2 and Fisher exact test were used for categorical variables and the t test for continuous variables. All data were weighted based on the NHANES multistage sampling design.

The population included 7081 individuals 40 years or older, of whom 946 (13.4%) reported skipping breakfast on both interview days; 482 (6.8%) individuals self-reported glaucoma diagnosis, 549 (7.8%) individuals had glaucoma based on CDR ≥0.6, and 343 (6.0%) individuals had glaucoma based on clinical judgment. Diagnosis of glaucoma by all definitions was associated with older age and black or Latinx/Hispanic ethnicity ( P = 0.004) but was not associated with intermittent fasting status ( P = 0.151).

In the 2005-2008 NHANES population, intermittent fasting, defined as breakfast skipping, was not associated with decreased risk of glaucoma diagnosis overall. Further studies are needed to examine the potential effects of intermittent fasting on glaucoma risk.