This study identified a number of predictive factors for an elevated IOP, including older age, abnormal blood pressure, diabetes and people who've had cataract surgery.
This study identified a number of predictive factors for an elevated IOP including older age, abnormal blood pressure, diabetes and people who've had cataract surgery. Photo: James Fanelli. Click image to enlarge.

Modulating intraocular pressure (IOP) is currently the only avenue for controlling glaucoma. A recent study identified several predictors for elevated IOP that researchers say will inform public health education measures.

The researchers of the retrospective study investigated 1,254 glaucoma patients and associated variables including socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, individual behaviors and clinical factors.

Approximately 20% of the participants had elevated pressures. The researchers wrote that factors including age, blood pressure, diabetes, visiting time and—curiously—farming had a significant and indirect effect on variation of IOP elevation, while interaction effects between covariates such as visiting time with diabetes and visiting time with cataract surgery significantly affected the variable of interest. “Hence, both main and interaction effects had significant effects on the variable of interest,” they noted in their paper.

High elevation was observed in rural workers, the elderly, people with abnormal blood pressure, diabetics, smokers, drinkers, patients who have had cataract surgery and those with trachoma disease.

The researchers explained that average IOP elevation decreased with more follow-up visits but that different groups experienced different rates of reduction. Overall, farmers had more elevated IOP. The researchers wrote that this was likely due to farmers’ tendency to come for treatment only after losing vision; also, they are often exposed to dust particles, are more likely to smoke and may not take their treatments properly. The researchers wrote that education on the potential risks of glaucoma is needed.

Birhanu G, Tegegne AS. Predictors for elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) on glaucoma patients: a retrospective cohort study design. BMC Ophthalmol. June 7, 2022. [Epub ahead of print].