In a study published in Journal of Glaucoma, researchers investigated the effect of exercise on intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma.
Give me some background first.
As the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, glaucoma affects 2% to 4% of individuals aged 40+.
Common risk factors for developing this disease include:
- Raised IOP
- Aged 60+
- African, Asian, or Hispanic descent
- Having relatives with glaucoma
- Having high nearsightedness or far-sightedness
- Using steroid medications
- Having a thin central cornea
- Sustaining an eye injury
What does exercise have to do with IOP?
Exercise can cause changes in IOP; however, the relationship between intensity, different types of exercises, and the underlying mechanisms by which changes in IOP occur is not yet understood.
Thus: Investigators conducted this research to understand changes in IOP regarding exercise as well as how to advise glaucoma patients on what exercises are deemed safe and potentially helpful for their condition.
Now, talk about the study.
Researchers conducted a comprehensive search of multiple literature databases.
Among 16 original studies selected for review, they searched the following libraries for relevant (unnamed) terms:
Findings?
Investigators found that exercises of varying intensity and type had differing effects on IOP, including:
- Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise resulted in transient reductions in IOP
- High-intensity resistance exercise and weight-lifting led to transient elevations in IOP
It was also found that:
- Exercise and higher levels of fitness may be protective against the development of glaucoma
- Increased daily physical activity may be associated with less visual field (VF) progression in patients with glaucoma
Note: These findings were largely applicable to primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG)
Limitations?
In one of the studies evaluated, IOP was not measured during the exercise and post-exercise IOP was measured after a non-specified period.
Further: Another study demonstrated that patients with more severe VF loss had reduced physical activity.
- However, patients with more severe VF loss were also more likely to have difficulty with navigation and avoid physical activity.
Expert opinion?
The authors stated that their research may be useful for, “developing recommendations for appropriate exercise and physical activity in patients with glaucoma, and particularly POAG.”
Take home.
The study concluded that exercise could be beneficial for glaucoma management, although further longitudinal studies are needed to validate their findings.