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Longer diabetes duration may increase risk for glaucoma
Longstanding diabetes may be associated with increased risk for glaucoma, according to a meta-analysis.
Of 47 studies that included 2,981,342 patients from 16 countries, 29 studies looked at the association between diabetes and glaucoma, and five studies looked at the association between diabetes duration and glaucoma.
Prevalence of glaucoma in all studies in the meta-analysis ranged from 1.5% to 8.1%; relative risk for glaucoma when comparing patients with diabetes and patients without diabetes was 1.48.
The risk for glaucoma increased 5% each year since diabetes diagnosis.
There was a 0.18 mm Hg average difference in IOP in patients with diabetes and patients without diabetes. IOP differences were not statistically different by study design, country, method of ascertainment of diabetes, method of IOP measurement or year of study publication, the study said.
“A longer duration of diabetes could impose prolonged damage to the glial and neuronal functions, leading to higher glaucoma risk,” study authors said. “This finding further supports the need for patients with longer duration of diabetes to adhere to optimal glaucoma screening examinations and management.”
Disclosure: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.