Carter Coleman - Department of Ophthalmology
Glaucoma is one of the most common eye diseases and is where the optic nerve is damaged, typically due to increased intraocular pressure (IOP). Recently, an article was published detailing whether an association between increased physical activity (PA) and reduction of glaucoma development existed in the general population.
In the past, there have been multiple studies detailing how PA can provide acute and transient IOP lowering with an average range being around 1 to 5 mmHg. With baseline normal IOP typically ranging from 11-21 mmHg, PA can be an easily accessible tool to lower IOP in individuals, often combined with more proven methods like medication or surgery.
Still, there are few studies examining the association between sustained PA and IOP levels, with results being inconsistent. Similarly, there were no associations found in this study between sustained PA and improvement of glaucoma status. However, it was found that increased PA is positively associated with a thicker macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL), 2 adjacent layers that compose part of the 10-layered retina of the eye. This association has plausibility because of the existence of strong evidence correlating PA with neuroprotective effects like increases in retinal tissue blood supply and inhibiting complement-mediated pathways, both things that when dysregulated, can contribute to glaucoma development.
The fact that these results seem to indicate positive benefits of PA and glaucoma prevention is not a huge surprise, due to the already-established literature showing how PA can combat prevalent diseases like stroke, heart failure, and diabetes. However, no direct link can be made yet between PA and glaucoma status, with further investigation into the connections between physical activity’s neuroprotective effects on the eye and the actual onset of glaucoma still being required.
References:
Madjedi KM, Stuart KV, Chua SYL, et al. The association of physical activity with glaucoma and related traits in the UK Biobank. Ophthalmology. 2023;130(10):1024-1036. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2023.06.009
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