AAO: Normal-Tension Glaucoma Tied to Higher Alzheimer Disease Risk

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 12, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- People with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) have an increased risk for developing Alzheimer disease, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, held from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 in Chicago.

Yu-Yen Chen, M.D., from Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan, and colleagues used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (2001 through 2013) to identify 15,317 individuals with NTG and 61,268 age- and gender-matched individuals without glaucoma.

The researchers found that when adjusting for confounders, the NTG group had a significantly higher risk for Alzheimer disease (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.52). Incidence was highest among those who were older, were female, or had a history of stroke. Among those in the NTG group, none of the glaucoma eyedrops used were significant risk factors or protective factors for Alzheimer disease.

"From a public health perspective, policy makers are encouraged to enforce Alzheimer's screening for at-risk patients with normal-tension glaucoma and to provide more substantial and integrated care," Chen said in a statement.

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