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Editors Selection IGR 17-3

Clinical Examination Methods: Factors affecting IOP

Comment by Jost Jonas on:

59047 A longitudinal study of age-related changes in intraocular pressure: the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study, Zhao D; Kim MH; Pastor-Barriuso R et al., Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 2014; 55: 6244-6250

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This is very large health-screening center-based longitudinal examination mostly of employees of large companies in Korea over a period of eight years. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured by automated noncontact tonometers which changed during the follow-up period (2002-2004: TX-10; Canon, Tokyo, Japan; 2005-2008: TX-F; Topcon, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan; 2009 onward: CT-80; Topcon). Including 281,238 adult Korean men and women into the investigation, the authors reported that IOP was inversely associated with age. For men, this inverse association was observed throughout the entire age range, while for women it was evident only in younger (< 30 years of age) and older (≥ 60 years of age) women, with no association in women aged 30 to 59. The strength of the study is very large sample size and long follow-up over eight years. Limitations of the study are that it was health-care center-based mostly including employees of companies, and more importantly that associations between IOP and blood pressure, body height and body mass index were statistically not fully taken into account. To cite an example, differences between Koreans and Westerners in the association of IOP with age may be caused by inter-ethnic differences in age-related changes in body mass index, body height and blood pressure. In view of the high qualities of the study, the authors may be encouraged to further explore statistically the potential influence of these potentially confounding factors.

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