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Estrogen use found to have potential association with glaucoma risk
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Researchers have found that women taking estrogen-containing postmenopausal hormones may have a reduced risk of primary open-angle glaucoma.
Newman-Casey and colleagues evaluated 152,163 women 50 years or older who were enrolled in a U.S. managed care plan for at least 4 years and visited an eye care provider at least twice between 2001 and 2009, according to the report in JAMA Ophthalmology.
The study abstract specified that the researchers evaluated the risk of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) associated with three classes of postmenopausal hormones (PMHs): estrogen, estrogen plus progesterone and estrogen plus androgen.
They reported that 2,925, or 1.9%, developed POAG.
“After adjustment for confounding factors, each additional month of use of PMH containing estrogen only was associated with a 0.4% reduced risk for POAG,” they reported in the abstract.
The risk did not differ with continuing use of the other PMH classes, the abstract stated.
“Retinal ganglion cells are known to express estrogen receptors, and prior studies have suggested an association between PMH use and decreased intraocular pressure, suggesting that PMH may decrease the risk for POAG,” the authors said.
“If prospective studies confirm the findings of this analysis, novel treatments for this sight-threatening condition may follow,” they concluded.
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