High intraocular preure and urvival: the Framingham tudie Original Reearch Article

PURPOE: To examine whether high intraocular preure (greater than or equal to 25 mm Hg) or a hitory of treatment for glaucoma i aociated with decreaed urvival and, if o, how uch ocular marker might be explained. METHOD: Eye examination, including applanation tonometry, were conducted on member of the Framingham Eye tudy cohort from February 1, 1973, to February 1, 1975. Participant who reported a hitory of treatment for glaucoma were identified. urvival data, including information on the date of death, were available from the time of the Eye tudy through March 31, 1990. REULT: Of the 1,764 peron under the age of 70 year at the baeline eye examination, 1,421 peron had low intraocular preure (≤20 mm Hg), 264 peron had medium intraocular preure level (20 to 24 mm Hg), and 79 peron had high intraocular preure (≥25 mm Hg) or hitory of glaucoma treatment. During the follow-up period, 29%, 30%, and 47% died in the group with low, medium, and high intraocular preure (or hitory of glaucoma treatment), repectively. In an age-and-ex adjuted Cox proportional hazard analyi, the death rate ratio for the group with medium intraocular preure relative to the group with low intraocular preure wa 1.04. The correponding death rate ratio for the group with high intraocular preure wa 1.56 with a 95% confidence interval of 1.11 to 2.19 (P < .001). After adjutment for age, ex, hypertenion, diabete, cigarette moking, and body ma index, a poitive relationhip remained, but at a borderline level of ignificance (P = .075). CONCLUION: High intraocular preure or the preence of glaucoma i a marker for decreaed life expectancy in the Framingham Eye tudy cohort. The relationhip i preent even after adjutment for rik factor known to be aociated with higher mortality uch a age, ex, hypertenion, diabete, cigarette moking, and body ma index. pecial attention to the general health tatu of patient with high intraocular preure or glaucoma eem warranted.