Corticosteroids and Open-Angle Glaucoma in the Elderly A Population-Based Cohort Study

Background It is largely unknown if corticosteroid-induced open-angle glaucoma (OAG) is an entity that is limited to a few susceptible individuals or whether it contributes significantly to the overall population burden of OAG. Objective The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between corticosteroid use and the incidence of OAG in the general elderly population. Methods A prospective population-based cohort study was conducted in a general community setting. 3,939 participants of the Rotterdam Study aged 55 years and older for whom data from ophthalmic examinations at baseline and follow-up were available and who did not have glaucoma at baseline were included (baseline examination from 1991 to 1993; follow-up examinations from 1997 to 1999 and from 2002 to 2006). Ophthalmic examinations, including measurement of the intraocular pressure, assessment of Results During a mean follow-up of 9.8 years, 108 participants (2.8 %) developed OAG. The median number of steroid prescriptions during follow-up was 2 for ophthalmic, 7 for inhaled, 2 for nasal and 2 for oral steroids, and 3 for steroid ointments. The OR of the use of ophthalmic steroids was 1.04 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.66, 1.65; p = 0.86], inhaled steroids 0.79 (95 % CI 0.42, 1.48; p = 0.46), nasal steroids 1.26 (95 % CI 0.74, 2.13; p = 0.40), oral steroids 1.03 (95 % CI 0.65, 1.64; p Conclusion None of the classes of steroids were associated with the incidence of OAG in this elderly population.