Relationship between intraocular pressure and parameters of obesity in ocular hypertension.

Aim: To evaluate the correlation between intraocular pressure (IOP) and various obesity-related health factors in patients with ocular hypertension in Korea.

Methods: A total of 40 850 subjects underwent age, sex, body weight, and height assessments and automated multiphasic tests, including non-contact tonometry, automated perimetry, fundus photography, systolic/diastolic blood pressure measurement, and evaluation of obesity-related health parameters such as obesity index, body mass index (BMI), a body shape index (ABSI), and waist-to-height ratio (WtHR). Subjects were divided into ocular hypertension group and normal IOP group according to IOP after matching of age and sex.

Results: Of 40 850 participants, 1515 (3.7%) had ocular hypertension, and 1515 with normal IOP were selected as controls using propensity score matching. The mean IOP of control group was 15.3±2.3 mm Hg, compared with 23.3±1.6 mm Hg in ocular hypertension group. Height, obesity index, BMI, and WtHR in the ocular hypertension group were significantly higher than in the normal IOP group (<0.001, <0.001, =0.009, =0.002). IOP of ocular hypertension was positively correlated with obesity index (=0.027) and BMI (=0.016), whereas IOP of control was positively correlated with blood pressure (<0.001, =0.002), obesity index (<0.001), BMI (<0.001), and WHtR (=0.002). Systolic blood pressure (=0.022, <0.001) and body weight (=0.016, =0.02) were precursors of IOP in normal subjects, but sex (male; =-0.231, =0.008) and obesity index (=-0.007, =0.017) were precursors of ocular hypertension according to multiple regression analysis.

Conclusion: Among various obesity-related health parameters, obesity index is the best indicator for further increase in IOP in ocular hypertension group.