This study was done to describe the distributions of and associations with intraocular pressure (IOP) and circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (cRNFL) thickness in a population-based study.

3221 participants eligible for this study with 5753 eyes included in the IOP analysis. The mean Goldmann correlated IOP (IOPg) was 15.39 mm Hg. The mean average global cRNFL thickness was 94.39 µm. Increased IOPg was associated with increased age, male sex, hypertension, refractive error and increased corneal resistance factor, while beta-blocker drug use was associated with lower IOPg in the fully adjusted multivariate analysis. Thinner average global cRNFL was associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted model. In the fully adjusted multivariate analysis, increased age, male sex, left eyes, hypertension, increased VCDR, refractive error and increased IOPg were associated with thinner average global cRNFL, while Parkinson’s disease and current (vs never) smoking status were associated with thicker average global cRNFL.

The study concluded that increased IOP and reduced cRNFL and they were associated with increased age, myopic refractive error, male sex and hypertension. Alzheimer’s disease was linked to thinner average global cRNFL, while Parkinson’s disease was associated with thicker average global cRNFL.

Reference: https://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2020/07/30/bjophthalmol-2020-316499

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