Association between ocular pressure and certain health parameters

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Intraocular pressure (IOP) is a key factor in ocular health.
• Understanding factors influencing IOP is crucial for identifying potential ocular hypertension.
• Large-scale population studies are valuable for epidemiological insights.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between intraocular pressure and various physiological and lifestyle factors in a large, healthy population.
• To identify potential risk factors contributing to elevated intraocular pressure.
• To assess the distribution and determinants of intraocular pressure in employed adults.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 12,803 apparently healthy employed individuals.
• Measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP).
• Statistical analysis to determine correlations with age, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, blood glucose, hemoglobin, smoking status, and height.

Main Results:

• Mean IOP was 13.5 +/- 3.3 mmHg, with no significant sex difference.
• IOP showed weak correlations with age (R=0.06), heart rate (R=0.16), and systolic blood pressure (R=0.15).
• Age-related skewness in IOP distribution was found to be spurious when corrected for heart rate. Other factors like blood glucose, hemoglobin, smoking, and height showed correlations but did not fully explain the observed skewness.

Conclusions:

• Heart rate and systolic blood pressure are more strongly correlated with IOP than age in healthy adults.
• The observed skewness towards higher IOP values in the population is not fully explained by the investigated factors.
• Epidemiological approaches are essential for detecting factors associated with ocular hypertension.