Risk factors of ocular hypertension and glaucoma. The Casteldaccia Eye Study

A case-control study was planned as a part of the Casteldaccia Eye Study in order to investigate about risk factors of ocular hypertension and glaucoma. Cases were 44 subjects with glaucoma or intraocular pressure of 24 mm Hg or more. Controls were 220 subjects with intraocular pressure of 20 mm Hg or less and no signs of glaucoma. A number of environmental, behavioral, systemic and ocular variables were studied. Among the others we investigated the following: sunlight exposure, smoking, alcohol intake, pregnancies, systemic hypertension, diabetes, use of corticosteroids, refractive status, anterior chamber depth, lens nuclear sclerosis, iris color and texture. After univariate analysis the use of ocular corticosteroids and antibiotics, myopia, shallow anterior chamber and myopic macular degeneration were associated with ocular hypertension or glaucoma. However, the logistic regression showed that only the use of ocular corticosteroids (odds ratio = 7.79) and the myopia (odds ratio = 5.56) were independently associated.