Distribution and associated factors of intraocular pressure in the older population: Tehran Geriatric Eye Study

Abstract

AIM: To determine the distribution and associated factors of intraocular pressure (IOP) in an Iranian elderly population 60 years of age and above. METHODS: The present report is part of the Tehran Geriatric Eye study (TGES), a population-based cross-sectional study that was conducted on the residents of Tehran 60 years of age and above. The sampling was performed using multistage stratified random cluster sampling methods from 22 districts of Tehran, Iran. Demographic and history information, blood samples, and blood pressure were collected from all participants. Ocular examinations included measurement of uncorrected and best-corrected visual acuity, objective and subjective refraction, and slit-lamp biomicroscopy. The IOP was measured using Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT). Corneal imaging and ocular biometry were performed using Pentacam AXL. RESULTS: The data of 3892 eyes of 2124 individuals were analyzed for this report. The mean age of the study participants was 66.49±5.31y (range: 60 to 95y). The mean IOP was 15.2 mm Hg (95%CI: 15.1 to 15.4), 15.3 mm Hg (95%CI: 15.1 to 15.5) and 15.1 mm Hg (95%CI: 15.0 to 15.3) in all participants, males, and females, respectively. Of the study participants, 1.3% had an IOP of ≥20 mm Hg. The mean IOP increased from 15.1 mm Hg in the age group 60-64y to 16.3 mm Hg in the age group ≥80y. According to the final multiple GEE model, the IOP was statistically significantly higher in men than in women. All the studied age groups, except for the 75-79-year-old age group, had significantly higher IOP compared to the 60-64-year-old age group. The IOP was significantly higher in underweight compared to other body mass index groups. Moreover, the IOP had a statistically significant direct relationship with the mean corneal power (mean CP), central corneal thickness (CCT), and systolic blood pressure. CONCLUSION: The present study presents the distribution of IOP in an Iranian elderly population. A higher IOP (within the range 14 to 17 mm Hg) is significantly associated with older age, male sex, high systolic blood pressure, increased mean CP, and CCT. These factors should be considered in the clinical interpretation of IOP.

Factors Associated with Increased Intraocular Pressure in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

“…The IOP is a variable with a linear trend and was previously analyzed in several other research studies. In a Tehran Geriatric Eye study report, the researchers found that an IOP ranging from 14 to 17 mm Hg was associated with older age and high systolic blood pressure [34]. A meta-analysis of European cohort studies reported an inverted U-shape trend, indicating that IOP increased until the age of 60 and then decreased again in older people [35].…”

Corneal topographic indices of scheimpflug camera in type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic elderly populations

“…Several studies compared central corneal thickness between the diabetic and non-diabetic groups [ 18 ]. Although a number of studies found that diabetic patients had thicker corneas compared to non-diabetic subjects, [ 19 , 20 ] some other studies did not report any difference between the two groups [ 5 , 19 ].…”