Smoking level may be significant predictor of glaucoma progression

Levels of smoking may be a significant predictor of glaucoma progression, according to a study that found that visual field (VF) loss in eyes with glaucoma is more likely in heavy smokers.

In this retrospective cohort study, 511 eyes of 354 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) with a median follow-up of 12.5 years were included.

Overall, 168 (59.8%) participants had reported a history of smoking and 149 (42.1%) had reported a history of alcohol consumption.

In a multivariable model, higher smoking intensity was associated with faster VF loss. in eyes of heavy smokers (≥20 pack-years), VF progression development was more than 2 times greater than in eyes of patients who didn’t smoke.

Statistically significant differences were found between heavy smokers and never smokers.

Reference
Mahmoudinezhad G, Nishida T, Weinreb RN, et al. Impact of Smoking on Visual Field Progression in a Long-term Clinical Follow-up. Ophthalmology. 2022;S0161-6420(22)00476-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.06.017. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35752211.