Scientists from UT Southwestern found that the earlier people develop type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure in life, the earlier they are likely to develop primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
The findings could lead to better screening protocols for POAG, which accounts for up to 90% of all cases of glaucoma.
Tens of millions of people have POAG around the globe. Because this disease has few symptoms in its earliest stages, patients are frequently diagnosed in its later stages when vision has already been permanently damaged.
Early detection of glaucoma is the key to better control of intraocular pressure and preventing blindness.
Although researchers have identified several risk factors for POAG—including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, migraines, and obstructive sleep apnea—how they might influence the onset of POAG is not well understood.
In the study, the team collected data from the medical records of 389 POAG patients.
They found no connection between migraines and/or obstructive sleep apnea and the age of POAG onset.
However, the researchers found that the age of type 2 diabetes and/or high blood pressure diagnosis was strongly linked to the onset of POAG.
The earlier patients presented with either or both of these conditions, the earlier they tended to develop POAG.
The team noted that both type 2 diabetes and hypertension are diseases that affect blood vessels of both the optic nerve and retina, thus potentially causing changes that predispose patients to POAG, another condition with a vascular root.
If these connections hold up in future research, he said, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure could be added to the list of factors that can trigger POAG screening—including a family history of POAG, elevated intraocular pressure, and Black race—and lead to earlier diagnosis of POAG, preserving patients’ vision and quality of life.
If you care about eye health, please read studies about eye problems linked to higher risk of dementia, and popular diabetes drugs can help prevent some eye disease.
For more information about eye diseases, please see recent studies about diet linked to blinding eye diseases, and results showing these foods may damage your eyes.
The research was published in Clinical Ophthalmology and conducted by Karanjit Kooner et al.
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