Women with higher body mass index may be less likely to develop primary open-angle glaucoma

Ophthalmol. 2010;117(8):1521-1529.

Higher body mass index in women may be associated with a reduced risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma, according to a study.

Researchers examined biennial questionnaires over a 24-year period from 78,777 women and 41,352 men aged 40 years or older who did not present with primary open-angle glaucoma at baseline.

Investigators found no significant link between cumulatively averaged body mass index (BMI) in kilograms per meter squared and primary open-angle glaucoma overall. Among cases of primary open-angle glaucoma with an IOP of 22 mm Hg or less at diagnosis, each unit increase in BMI was associated with a 6% reduced risk in women (P = .01), but not in men.

However, the study found no significant association for either gender between BMI and primary open-angle glaucoma with IOP of more than 21 mm Hg at diagnosis.

"Weight uncorrelated with height may be an important covariate in studies of [primary open-angle glaucoma] that develops at IOP of 21 mm Hg or less," the study authors said. "Determining the mechanisms of how anthropometric measures may influence the risk of [primary open-angle glaucoma] may unlock important clues regarding disease pathogenesis."