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Exercise May Reduce Glaucoma Risk

A physically active lifestyle may help protect elders’ eyes from glaucoma, according to a new study in the October issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, typically develops when fluid pressure inside the eye rises and damages the optic nerve.

In this study, researchers looked at the association between physical activity and eye pressure in 5,650 men and women aged 48 to 90 in Great Britain. The participants were evaluated between 1993 and 1997 and again between 2006 and 2010. Based on information they provided about their work and leisure time physical activity, they were categorized as inactive, moderately inactive, moderately active, or active. Researchers tracked their eye pressure over the years.

The study found that moderate physical exercise that had been performed about 15 years previously was associated with a 25% reduced risk of low ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), an important risk factor for glaucoma.

 “It appears that OPP is largely determined by cardiovascular fitness,” study author Paul Foster, BMedSci, BMBS, PhD, FRCS(Ed), of the University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, said in a journal news release. “We cannot comment on the cause, but there is certainly an association between a sedentary lifestyle and factors which increase glaucoma risk.”

A large number of previous studies have examined the effect of physical activity on the two components of OPP—intraocular pressure (IOP) and blood pressure—but this is the first study to look at the association between physical activity and OPP, according to the researchers.

“Before now, the only modifiable risk factor for glaucoma was IOP, altered by medication, laser, or surgery,” Foster said. “We believe our study points toward a new way of reducing glaucoma risk through maintaining an active lifestyle. This is a way that people can participate in altering their risk of glaucoma and many other serious health problems.”

The authors acknowledged that more research is needed before anyone can rely on exercise to prevent or treat glaucoma.

— Source: Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science