One of the most frequently seen disease risks we see at MVO is glaucoma. Glaucoma can lead to permanent vision loss if allowed to progress untreated, and is caused by higher levels of pressure within the eyes. While we know that genetics plays a role in who gets glaucoma, not much is known about environmental or lifestyle factors that may also contribute. A new study out of Mount Sinai in New York has found a possible link between high caffeine intake and the risk for glaucoma.
In the study, records from over 120,000 participants were analysed. The information in the records included answers to questions about lifestyle, eye health records and genetic data. A link was found between those at highest risk for glaucoma genetically, and high regular caffeine use (3 or more cups of coffee per day). For those without a genetic risk for higher eye pressure leading to glaucoma, no association with caffeine intake and glaucoma was found.
This study suggests that if you are being monitored for glaucoma, and have a family history of the disease, you may want to limit your daily coffee intake.
