ARVO
(Association for Research in Vision
and Ophthalmology)
Posted on October 3,
2012
Rockville, MD – A new study suggests caffeinated coffee
drinkers should limit their intake to reduce their chances of developing vision
loss or blindness. According to a scientific paper in Investigative
Ophthalmology & Visual Science, heavy caffeinated coffee consumption is
associated with an increased risk of developing exfoliation glaucoma, the
leading cause of secondary glaucoma worldwide.
The study, The Relation
between Caffeine and Coffee Consumption and Exfoliation Glaucoma or Glaucoma
Suspect: A Prospective Study in Two Cohorts, is the first to examine
the link between caffeinated coffee and exfoliation glaucoma in a U.S. –based
population.
“Scandinavian
populations have the highest frequencies of exfoliation syndrome and glaucoma,”
said author, Jae Hee Kang, ScD, of Channing Division of Network Medicine at
Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass. “Because Scandinavian populations
also have the highest consumption of caffeinated coffee in the world, and our
research group has previously found that greater caffeinated coffee intake was
associated with increased risk of primary open-angle glaucoma, we conducted
this study to evaluate whether the risk of exfoliation glaucoma or glaucoma
suspect may be different by coffee consumption.”
The study was composed
of two cohorts: 78,977 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and 41,202 men
from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) who were at least 40 years
of age, did not have glaucoma and reported undergoing eye examinations from
1980 (for NHS participants) and 1986 (for HPFS participants) to 2008. The
research team used questionnaires to obtain and validate the consumption of
beverages containing caffeine and reviewed medical records to determine
incident cases of exfoliation glaucoma, which contributes to elevated pressure
sufficient enough to damage the optic nerve, or exfoliation glaucoma suspect
that have milder or only suspect optic nerve damage.
A meta-analysis of the
two cohorts showed that, compared to abstainers, participants who drank three
cups or more of caffeinated coffee daily were at an increased risk of
developing exfoliation glaucoma or glaucoma suspect. The researchers did not
find associations with consumption of other caffeinated products, such as soda,
tea, chocolate or decaffeinated coffee. The results also showed that women with
a family history of glaucoma were at an increased risk.
Kang, along with his
colleagues, report that this study represents a much needed effort to better
understand the causes of exfoliation glaucoma, which are largely unknown.
“Because this is the
first study to evaluate the association between caffeinated coffee and
exfoliation glaucoma in a U.S. population, confirmation of these results in
other populations would be needed to lend more credence to the possibility that
caffeinated coffee might be a modifiable risk factor for glaucoma,” said Kang.
“It may also lead to research into other dietary or lifestyle factors as risk
factors.
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The ARVO peer-reviewed
journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS) publishes
results from original hypothesis-based clinical and laboratory research
studies, as well as Reviews, Perspectives, and Special Issues. IOVS 2009
Impact Factor ranks No. 4 out of 45 among ophthalmology journals. The journal
is online-only and articles are published daily.
The Association
for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and
vision research organization in the world. Members include nearly 13,000 eye
and vision researchers from over 80 countries. ARVO encourages and assists
research, training, publication and knowledge-sharing in vision and ophthalmology.
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Media Contact: Katrina Norfleet +1.240.221.2924
knorfleet@arvo.org