Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution Can Double Glaucoma Risk

TOPLINE:

Long-term exposure to air pollutants was associated with an increased risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), with each SD increase in their average 10-year levels of pollution raising the risk by 40%-108%.

METHODOLOGY:

Researchers analyzed the records of 590,338 individuals aged 20 years or older from a nationwide cohort in Taiwan who had never been diagnosed with glaucoma and had at least 10 years of data regarding their exposure to air pollution.

The levels of seven air pollutants — including sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter < 10 µm in diameter (PM10), PM2.5, nitrogen oxides (NOX) — nitrogen monoxide (NO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) — were monitored, with the exposure data linked to the residential postal codes of the participant