J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2008 Jan;49(1):135-142. 10.3341/jkos.2008.49.1.135.

The Effect of Age and Gender on the Intraocular Pressure in Koreans: A Cross-sectional Study

• Park SC
• Kee C

• KMID: 2211193
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2008.49.1.135

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of age and gender on intraocular pressure (IOP) in a large Korean population.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study included 102,218 healthy Koreans who were aged between 20 and 79 and had no preexisting ocular conditions that could affect the IOP. All the subjects had undergone a physical check up between 1996 and 2005, and their medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Anthropometric measurements, blood tests, noncontact tonometry, and fundus examination were performed on all participants. Subjects were grouped according to decade of age. For all subjects and each age group, age and systemic variables were analyzed by multiple regression analysis on their relationship with IOP.
RESULTS
A significant trend of decreasing IOP was observed in the 40s, 50s, and 60s in men, while a significant trend of increasing IOP was found in the 50s, 60s, and 70s in women. Multiple regression analysis revealed different IOP trends with age between age groups in both men and women. In general, the IOP had a significant positive correlation with systolic blood pressure, body-mass index (BMI), hematocrit, and serum cholesterol, especially with BMI in men and hematocrit in women.
CONCLUSIONS
In a multiple regression analysis, the IOP trend in each age group was quite different from each other in a large Korean population, and it was suggested that women may have a steeper increasing slope (or less steep decreasing slope) of IOP with age than men. Further investigations with longitudinal study would be required to clarify the age- and gender-related physiologic changes of IOP.

Keyword

Age; Cross-sectional analysis; Intraocular pressure; Korean

MeSH Terms

Aged
Blood Pressure
Cholesterol
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Hematocrit
Hematologic Tests
Humans
Intraocular Pressure
Male
Manometry
Medical Records
Retrospective Studies
Cholesterol

Figure

• 

  Figure 1. The distribution of intraocular pressure in total subjects. (A) Before and (B) after excluding subjects with doubtable findings, such as optic disc abnormality and fundus abnormality based on fundus photography, IOP over 21 mm Hg, participant’s own history or family history of medical and/or ocular conditions that could possibly affect the IOP (glaucoma, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc.), and drug history of antiglaucoma, antihypertensive, or antihyperlipidemic medications.

• 

  Figure 2. The distribution of mean intraocular pressure (IOP) by age group. (A) In men, there was a significant difference in the mean IOP between those in their 40s and 50s and between those in their 50s and 60s (P<0.001, respectively; by one-way ANOVA with multiple comparison)*). (B) In women, there was a significant difference in the (mean IOP between those in their 50s and 60s and between those in their 60s and 70s (P<0.001, respectively; by one-way ANOVA with multiple comparison) (*).

Reference

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