Interrelationship among blood pressure, intraocular pressure, and life-style in middle-aged and older Japanese residents

Abstract

To clarify the interrelationship among blood pressure (BP), intraocular pressure (IOP), and life-style related factors, a cross-sectional study was conducted. This epidemiological study analyzed health examination data obtained between 2001 and 2004 from 1113 Japanese individuals, ranging in age 28 to 79 years, who had not undergone any ocular surgery or medical treatment for hypertension, ocular hypertension, and glaucoma. The association of systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP), and life-style related factors such as body mass index (BMI), drinking, smoking, and exercise habits with IOP were evaluated by multiple regression analyses and analyses of covariance. The results of this study showed that SBP, DBP, and BMI had a significantly positive association with IOP in both sexes. In men, the number of cigarette smoking per day was also positively related to IOP (P < 0.05). In respect to the interrelationship among BP, IOP, and life-style related factors, it was found that smoking was associated with high IOP, especially with “high BP accompanied by high IOP”. The results of this study suggested that prohibition of smoking in addition to management of BP and BMI might be important to Japanese patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension as they have a higher incidence of normal tension glaucoma than Europeans and Americans.