Study finds increased glaucoma risk in patients with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome

Patients with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome have a significantly higher risk of developing glaucoma, and it tends to occur at a younger age than in the general population, regardless of whether the hypercortisolism is in remission or not, according to a study.

The retrospective matched-cohort analysis included 609 patients diagnosed with CS and 3,018 matched controls.

Researchers found that 7.2% of patients with CS had a glaucoma diagnosis at baseline, compared to 5% in the control group. The risk for glaucoma was 74% higher in the CS group (hazard ratio 1.74, P = 0.002). Glaucoma onset was also found to occur at a younger age in patients with CS, with a mean age of 62 years, compared to controls (P = 0.02). The risk remained elevated regardless of whether patients with CS were in remission or had persistent hypercortisolism (P = 0.048).

Reference
Sharon Y, Shochat T, Rudman Y, et al. Higher risk and earlier onset glaucoma in Cushing’s syndrome. Acta Ophthalmol. 2024;doi: 10.1111/aos.16787. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39498529.