A recent study has found a possible link between a common type of blood pressure medicine and a higher risk of glaucoma, a serious eye disease that can cause vision loss. This discovery may be important for millions of people who take this medicine every day.
The medicine is called a calcium channel blocker, or CCB for short. It is used by many people to lower high blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels. But researchers now think that it may also affect the eyes in unexpected ways.
The study was led by Dr. Alan Kastner and his team from Moorfields Eye Hospital and University College London. They looked at health data from more than 427,000 adults in the UK. Out of this group, over 33,000 people were taking calcium channel blockers.
Even after adjusting for age, lifestyle, and other health issues, the researchers found that people who took CCBs were more likely to have glaucoma. Other blood pressure drugs did not show the same risk.
One of the most surprising things in the study was that some people taking CCBs had signs of early glaucoma even when the pressure in their eyes was normal. Normally, high eye pressure is the main cause of glaucoma, so this finding raises new questions.
Glaucoma often doesn’t cause any symptoms at first, which makes it hard to detect until some vision is already lost. And once vision is gone, it can’t be brought back. That’s why this new study is important. If these drugs are linked to glaucoma, then people taking them might need to get their eyes checked more often.
Still, the researchers are not sure whether the medicine actually causes glaucoma. It’s possible that something else is responsible for the link. More studies are needed to understand how CCBs might affect the eyes and why.
Doctors say people should not stop taking their blood pressure medicine just because of this study. High blood pressure is also very dangerous and must be treated. Anyone who is concerned should talk to their doctor first.
This study was published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology. The researchers say they will keep studying this issue so they can better understand the risks. It’s also worth noting that some of the researchers had connections to drug companies, but it’s not clear if that had any effect on the results.
In the meantime, if you take calcium channel blockers, it may be a good idea to ask your doctor if you should get regular eye exams. Early detection of glaucoma can help protect your vision.
Glaucoma is a common disease around the world. It comes on slowly and often without warning. Learning more about it—and how common medicines might affect your risk—can help people take better care of their eyes.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and drinking green tea could help lower blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about what to eat or to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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