SCIENTIFIC REPORT

Intraocular pressure associations with refractive error and axial length in children

A J Lee¹, S-M Saw¹, G Gazzard^2,3,4, A Cheng³ and D T H Tan^2,3

¹ Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National University of Singapore, 16 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Republic of Singapore
² Singapore National Eye Centre, (SNEC), 11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168751, Republic of Singapore
³ Singapore Eye Research Institute, (SERI) 5th Level, SNEC, 11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168751, Republic of Singapore
⁴ Institute of Ophthalmology, 11–43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Seang-Mei Saw
Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National University of Singapore, 16 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Republic of Singapore; cofsawsm{at}nus.edu.sg

Aim: To assess whether intraocular pressure (IOP) is associated with refractive error or axial length in children.

Methods: Of subjects from the Singapore Cohort Study of the Risk Factors for Myopia (SCORM), 636 Chinese children aged 9–11 years from two elementary schools underwent non-contact tonometry, cycloplegic autorefraction, and A-scan biometry during 2001. For analyses, refractive error was categorised into four groups; hypermetropia (spherical equivalent refraction (SE) +1.0D), emmetropia (-0.5D<SE<+1.0D), low myopia (-3.0D<SE-0.5D) and high myopia (SE-3.0D).

Results: Of the 636 children examined, 50.6% were male. The mean IOP was 16.6 (SD 2.7) mm Hg. There were no significant IOP differences between low (mean IOP = 16.4 (2.8) mm Hg) or high myopes (16.7 (2.5) mm Hg) and emmetropes (16.7 (2.9) mm Hg), p = 0.57. IOP was not correlated with spherical equivalent refraction (Spearman correlation, r = 0.009) or axial length (r = 0.030). In regression analyses adjusting for diastolic blood pressure, neither spherical equivalent (regression coefficient = 0.014) nor axial length (regression coefficient = 0.027) were significantly associated with IOP.

Conclusion: These findings do not support an association between IOP and refractive error or axial length in children. This questions postulated roles of IOP in the pathogenesis of myopia.

Keywords: axial length; children; intraocular pressure; myopia

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Refining the aetiology of myopia through negative results

C A McCarty
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2004 88: 1. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

BJO at a glance

Creig Hoyt
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2004 88: 1. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Zheng, Y., Xiang, F., Huang, W., Huang, G., Yin, Q., He, M. (2009). Distribution and Heritability of Intraocular Pressure in Chinese Children: The Guangzhou Twin Eye Study. IOVS 50: 2040-2043 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mitchell, P., Cheung, N., de Haseth, K., Taylor, B., Rochtchina, E., Islam, F. M. A., Wang, J. J., Saw, S. M., Wong, T. Y. (2007). Blood Pressure and Retinal Arteriolar Narrowing in Children. Hypertension 49: 1156-1162 [Abstract] [Full Text]