Diabetes, Hypertension Up Risk for Open-Angle Glaucoma

(HealthDay News) — Components of metabolic syndrome, including diabetes mellitus (DM) and systemic arterial hypertension (HTN) either alone or in combination, are associated with higher risk of open-angle glaucoma (OAG); whereas, the presence of hyperlipidemia lowers the risk, according to a study published in the July issue of Ophthalmology.

Paula Anne Newman-Casey, M.D., from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and colleagues investigated the relationship between the various components of metabolic syndrome, including DM, HTN, hyperlipidemia, and obesity, and OAG in individuals (aged 40 years or older) who were enrolled in a managed-care network and had one or more visits to an eye-care provider between 2001 to 2007. OAG and metabolic syndrome components were identified through billing codes; 2.5 percent of participants (55,090) had OAG. The risk of OAG in patients with individual or combinations of metabolic syndrome components was estimated using Cox regression, after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, systemic medical conditions, and other ocular diseases.

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