Background: Glaucoma is a potentially blinding disease and is the second leading cause of blindness after cataract. It is a neurodegenerative disease of the optic nerve characterized by accelerated ganglion cell death, axonal loss, optic nerve damage, and eventually visual field loss. The most important and probably the only modifiable risk factor for glaucoma is raised intraocular pressure (IOP). Various modifiable risk factors such as socioeconomic status, diet, exercise, body mass index (BMI), and smoking have been implicated in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. There are very little data available regarding the relationship between BMI and IOP, more so in our setup, therefore, the need for the present study.
Aims and Objectives: This study aims to study the relationship between IOP and BMI.
Materials and Methods: This is a caseĀcontrol study which was conducted on 40 outdoor patients attending Al-Kabir Eye Care Centre. Informed written consent was taken from all the subjects that fulfilled the inclusion exclusion criteria and then a detailed ophthalmological examination was done. Their height and weight were measured and BMI was calculated. The association between IOP and BMI was studied by Chi-square test.
Results: Our results show a strong positive association between BMI and IOP.
Conclusion: Higher BMI is a risk factor for higher IOP. Therefore, one must adapt a healthy lifestyle, eat balanced diet, do some sort of exercise, and keep ones weight under check so as to avoid many health hazards of obesity including ophthalmological disorders like glaucoma.
Key words: Intraocular Pressure; Body Mass Index; Lifestyle Modification; Glaucoma
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