Register for email alerts and news feeds:
This journal | BMJ Group
rss
The most recent version of this article was published on 1 November 2008

Br J Ophthalmol. Published Online First: 16 October 2008. doi:10.1136/bjo.2008.147165
Copyright © 2008 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Clinical Science

The Association between Thyroid Problems and Glaucoma

Jennifer Moren Cross 1*, Christopher A Girkin 1, Cynthia Owsley 1 and Gerald McGwin Jr.1

1 University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jmcross{at}uab.edu.

Accepted 29 August 2008


Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the association between thyroid problems and glaucoma.

Methods: A population-based cross-sectional sample with 12,376 participants from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to quantify the association between a self-reported diagnosis of glaucoma and a self-reported history of thyroid problems, controlling for demographic characteristics and smoking status.

Results: The overall prevalence of glaucoma was 4.6%; 11.9% reported a history of thyroid problems. The prevalence of glaucoma among those who did and did not report thyroid problems was 6.5% and 4.4%, respectively (p=0.0003). Following adjustment for differences in age, gender, race, and smoking status, the association between glaucoma and thyroid problems remained (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.08-1.76).

Conclusions: The results of this study lend support to the hypothesis that thyroid disorders may increase the risk of glaucoma. Research should continue evaluating potential mechanisms underlying this relationship and whether the treatment of thyroid problems reduces subsequent glaucoma risk.


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

This Article

Services
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.

Ophthalmology Jobs

Ophthalmology Jobs