Type 2 diabetes may be linked to higher risk of glaucoma
Type 2 diabetics who buy Actos to improve their blood sugar control may be interested to learn that their condition has been linked to an increased risk of developing open-angle glaucoma (OAG).
Type 2 diabetics who buy Actos to improve their blood sugar control may be interested to learn that their condition has been linked to an increased risk of developing open-angle glaucoma (OAG). This finding from researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center should encourage individuals with this condition - as well as people who have hypertension - to get routine checkups at the eye doctor's office.
Lead author Joshua D. Stein and his colleagues reviewed the billing records of more than 2 million patients over the age of 40 who had enrolled in a U.S. managed care network. Each of these people had visited an eye care provider at least once between 2001 and 2007.
The team discovered that diabetics had a 35 percent greater risk of developing OAG, while people who had high blood pressure were 17 percent more likely to have the eye condition, compared to those in the general population.
"Patients who have diabetes and hypertension are already known to be at elevated risk for eye conditions like diabetic retinopathy, a condition that harms the blood vessels in the retina," Stein said. "This study and others suggest that, for these patients, an increased likelihood of glaucoma is also a concern."
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