Newly diagnosed glaucoma ups risk of dementia

The risk of developing dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is much higher among individuals with newly diagnosed glaucoma, suggests a study. Additionally, this association is much greater among older individuals.

A team of investigators conducted this nationwide cohort study using authorized data provided by the Korean Health Insurance Service. From January 2006 to December 2017, they tracked participants for the diagnosis of glaucoma or dementia using claims data. They included a total of 788,961 participants aged ≥45 years who did not have dementia or glaucoma between 2002 and 2005.

A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for age, sex, behavioural factors, and systemic and ocular comorbidities, was used to examine the prospective association between newly diagnosed glaucoma and the risk of dementia.

Of the participants, 7.0 percent developed dementia after an average of 7.4 years. Newly diagnosed glaucoma was significantly associated with a greater dementia risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.89, 95 percent confidence interval, 1.57‒2.27), irrespective of age, sex, body mass index, income, smoking and drinking status, visual acuity, and other comorbidities such as diabetes, stroke, hypertension, and depression.

Newly diagnosed glaucoma correlated with a higher risk of AD but not vascular dementia. Notably, the risk of dementia in relation to glaucoma was more pronounced among older individuals (≥65 vs <65 years: HR, 3.15 vs 1.56; p<0.0001).