Relationship between intraocular pressure and systemic health parameters in a Korean population

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and age and obesity, adjusted for systemic health parameters such as sex and mean blood pressure, in a Korean population.

Methods: A total of 13 212 healthy participants underwent automated multiphasic tests, including tonometry, automated perimetry, fundus photography, blood pressure and body mass index (BMI). Six age groups were used, divided by decades ranging from 20−29 years to 70+ years. The association between IOP and systemic health para­meters was examined using cross-sectional analysis.

Results: The median age of participants was 47.6 years (range 20−84 years), and 6684 (50.6%) of participants were men. The mean IOP of participants was 15.5 mmHg. The mean IOP, blood pressure and BMI values were significantly higher in men than in women (P < 0.05). The overall prevalence of ocular hypertension, defined as IOP >21 mmHg without signs of glaucomatous visual field loss or optic disc damage, was 6.1% in men and 2.5% in women. Intraocular pressure was associated with mean blood pressure, sex, age and BMI by multiple regression analysis (P < 0.05). The relationship between IOP and age adjusted for sex, mean blood pressure and BMI had a significantly negative tendency for both sexes (P < 0.05). Body mass index had a significantly positive relation with IOP after controlling for age, sex and mean blood pressure in men (P < 0.05), but not in women.

Conclusions: In this Korean population, after multiple adjust­ment, IOP was found to decrease with age and to increase with BMI in men.