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Postmenopausal HT could lessen risk for primary open-angle glaucoma
Postmenopausal hormone therapy containing estrogen could reduce the risk for primary open-angle glaucoma, retrospective data suggest.
Previous studies have shown that postmenopausal HT is associated with a modestly reduced intraocular pressure, according to Paula Anne Newman-Casey, MD, MS, of the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and colleagues.
The researchers conducted the retrospective, longitudinal cohort analysis using claims data from 152,163 postmenopausal women aged at least 50 years who were enrolled in a US managed-care plan for at least 4 years from 2001 to 2009.
Participants who had visited an eye care provider at least twice during this time period were exposed to postmenopausal HT containing estrogen only, estrogen and progesterone, or estrogen and androgen, according to data.
Data indicated that 2,925 women (1.9%; mean age, 66.3 years) developed primary open-angle glaucoma. Of the women not on any HT, 2.1% developed primary open-angle glaucoma, whereas 1.7% of those on estrogen, 1.9% of those on estrogen plus progesterone, and 1.4% of those on estrogen plus androgen developed the condition.
After adjustments were made for age, race, education level and several other confounding factors, women prescribed estrogen alone had a 0.4% per month risk reduction for primary open-angle glaucoma (HR=0.996; 95% CI, 0.993-0.999).
However, after those adjustments for confounding factors, there were no differences with each additional month that patients used estrogen plus progesterone (HR=0.994; 95% CI, 0.987-1.001) or estrogen plus androgen (HR=0.999; 95% CI, 0.988-1.011), according to researchers.
“Overall, these findings, along with results of other population-based studies, suggest that [postmenopausal HT] use may generally affect women’s risk for glaucoma,” researchers wrote. “More research is needed to better elucidate the complex relationship between [postmenopausal HT] use and glaucoma.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.