Tell me about the study.
Researchers evaluated data of 271 patients—208 with preperimetric glaucoma and 63 with perimetric OAG—involved in the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study to determine the impact of different variables on the superficial whole image capillary density.
To note, 39% of patients reported a history of tobacco consumption, leading to a mean smoking intensity of 12.8 pack-years.
Back up … what’s a “pack-year”?
A pack-year is the measure of how many packs of cigarettes a person has smoked per day over the duration of time they’ve smoked overall. Here’s an example: 1 pack-year equates to smoking 1 pack per day for 1 year.
Why were pack-years studied?
Investigators discovered that for every 10 pack-year increase in smoking intensity, and after adjusting for factors like age and glaucoma, there was a significant association of -0.54% lower whole image capillary density. (via)
Take home.
The authors concluded that smoking intensity is associated with reduced optic nerve vessel density in OAG. Further, having an accurate history of smoking and its intensity can help when screening and monitoring patients.