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Abstract #9824 Published in IGR 5-3
Female reproductive factors and open angle glaucoma: the Blue Mountains Eye Study
Lee AJ; Mitchell P; Rochtchina E; Healey PR; Blue Mountains Eye StudyBritish Journal of Ophthalmology 2003; 87: 1324-1328
AIMS: To determine whether endogenous oestrogen exposures are associated with open angle glaucoma (OAG). METHODS: The Blue Mountains Eye Study examined 2072 women aged 49-97 years during 1992-1994. Questions about female reproductive factors included age at menarche and menopause, parity, and use of hormone replacement therapy. Applanation tonometry, visual field tests, and stereo-optic disc photographs were performed. OAG was diagnosed when glaucomatous visual fields matched optic disc changes. Ocular hypertension (OH) was defined in the absence of glaucoma, but with intraocular pressure ≥ 22 mmHg. RESULTS: A significantly increased OAG risk with later (> 13 years) compared with earlier (≤ 12 years) age of menarche was found, odds ratio (OR) = 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0 to 3.9, p for trend = 0.01, after adjustment for multiple confounders. Non-significant increased odds for OAG were found for early natural menopause (< 45 years) compared with the reference group (≥ 50 years), adjusted OR = 1.7; CI: 0.7 to 3.8, and for shorter duration of endogenous estrogen exposure (< 30 years), adjusted OR = 1.8; CI: 0.6 to 5.3. Increasing parity was associated with an increased risk of OAG (p = 0.03) and decreased risk of OH (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The modest associations found in relation to late menarche and increased parity do not allow the exclusion of a possible role for endogenous female hormones in the pathogenesis of OAG.
Dr. A.J. Lee, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Classification:
9.2.2 Other risk factors for glaucoma (Part of: 9 Clinical forms of glaucomas > 9.2 Primary open angle glaucomas)
