A recent study published in Ophthalmic Epidemiology investigated the relationship between smoking and the onset of glaucoma.
Give me some background first.
Research on the relationship between tobacco and glaucoma onset has resulted in inconsistent findings, leading to insufficient understanding about the existence of an association.
Thus, researchers set out to assess the degree to which smoking patterns could influence the onset of vision-related disability.
Now, talk about the study.
In this cross sectional study, participants self-reported information about both the duration and quantity of their smoking to two tertiary eye disease centers in Serbia.
A validated Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 (GQL-15) questionnaire was used to measure their vision-impairment levels.
Who was included in the study?
This study consisted of 238 people with the following glaucoma types:
- Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG)
- Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG)
- Normal tension glaucoma (NTG)
- Pseudoexfoliative (PEX)
Findings?
After statistical analysis accounted for confounding variables, the data displayed an association between number of cigarettes smoked per day and worse vision-related quality of life for those with the NTG subtype.
No other subtypes had this association, and smoking duration (in years) also did not have an association with worse vision-related quality of life for those with NTG.
Tell me more.
The researchers suggested that NTG as a subtype has a somewhat different pathogenesis than others, which could explain the association found.
Further, the study authors noted that the effect of tobacco on ocular tissue could impact both ocular blood flow disruption and vascular dysregulation, which may be consistent with the NTG pathogenesis.
Expert opinion?
Per the authors, “Our findings highlight the need to examine smoking habits among people with glaucoma, especially among people with NTG, during their health checks and address the issue of smoking as a potential harmful factor that may further damage their vision-related functioning.”
Limitations?
A main limitation of this study was the fact that it was self-reported, opening the door to a number of potential biases.
In addition, this study consisted of primarily Caucasian participants—despite there being a higher prevalence of certain glaucoma types in those with Asian and African heritage.
Take home.
Ultimately, further research is necessary to fully determine these connections and to bypass important limitations.
The authors maintained, “It is recommended that ophthalmologists and other health-care professionals work to improve their patients’ understanding of harmful effects of tobacco smoke and quit smoking.”