ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Glaucoma. It’s a progressive condition that can lead to blindness in some people. Researchers are still learning why some get the disease and some don’t. There’s a new clue that may surprise you.
Eye pain, headaches, and blurred vision. A few symptoms of glaucoma. The disease that causes pressure to build up behind the eye progressively leading to vision loss and even blindness. It affects 80 million people worldwide.
“We know that age is a risk factor for many chronic medical conditions,” said Anandita Agarwala Kulkarni, MD, of internal medicine & cardiovascular disease at Baylor Scott & White.
Including glaucoma. But a new U.K. study has uncovered something surprising. They found that participants with more good cholesterol actually had an increased risk of developing glaucoma. They were 10% more likely to develop the eye condition. While the people with higher levels of bad cholesterol have an eight percent reduced risk.
“Once the damage happens, it’s irreversible,” Meghal Gagrani, MD, pediatric ophthalmologist at the University of Pittsburgh told Ivanhoe.
Future clinical trails are needed to confirm the findings, but medical professionals say knowing this possible link between cholesterol and glaucoma can help encourage earlier eye screenings.
“I think anybody with a family history of glaucoma should definitely get an annual exam and get worked up for glaucoma. And anybody over the age of 40 years old should get an annual eye exam done by an ophthalmologist,” said Dr. Gagrani.
You can reduce cholesterol through medications or diet changes, such as reducing saturated fats like red meat and increasing soluble fiber by incorporating more omega-3 foods like salmon and walnuts.
“It’s important to eat healthy and stay physically and mentally active,” said Dr. Kulkarni.
Medical professionals who have reviewed the study say to interpret the data’s good vs bad cholesterol findings with caution. And consider that too much of anything — good or bad — should be avoided.
Contributors to this news report include: Shernay Williams, Producer; Chuck Bennethum, Editor.
Sources:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4212-glaucoma
https://glaucoma.org/articles/glaucoma-worldwide-a-growing-concern
https://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2025/01/14/bjo-2024-326062
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/too-much-good-cholesterol-increase-glaucoma-risk-over-55s
* For More Information, Contact:
Baylor Scott & White Media Relations
and
Meghal Gagrani, MD
Pediatric Ophthalmologist at the University of Pittsburgh
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