Abstract
Purpose:
To examine the associations of alcohol consumption with glaucoma and related traits, to assess whether a genetic predisposition to glaucoma modified these associations, and to perform Mendelian randomization (MR) experiments to probe causal effects.
Design:
Cross-sectional observational and gene–environment interaction analyses in the UK Biobank. Two-sample MR experiments using summary statistics from large genetic consortia.
Participants:
UK Biobank participants with data on intraocular pressure (IOP) (n = 109 097), OCT-derived macular inner retinal layer thickness measures (n = 46 236) and glaucoma status (n = 173 407).
Methods:
Participants were categorized according to self-reported drinking behaviors. Quantitative estimates of alcohol intake were derived from touchscreen questionnaires and food composition tables. We performed a 2-step analysis, first comparing categories of alcohol consumption (never, infrequent, regular, and former drinkers) before assessing for a dose-response effect in regular drinkers only. Multivariable linear, logistic, and restricted cubic spline regression, adjusted for key sociodemographic, medical, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors, were used to examine associations. We assessed whether any association was modified by a multitrait glaucoma polygenic risk score. The inverse-variance weighted method was used for the main MR analyses.
Main Outcome Measures:
Intraocular pressure, macular retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL) thickness, macular ganglion cell–inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL) thickness, and prevalent glaucoma.
Results:
Compared with infrequent drinkers, regular drinkers had higher IOP (+0.17 mmHg; P < 0.001) and thinner mGCIPL (-0.17 μm; P = 0.049), whereas former drinkers had a higher prevalence of glaucoma (odds ratio, 1.53; P = 0.002). In regular drinkers, alcohol intake was adversely associated with all outcomes in a dose-dependent manner (all P < 0.001). Restricted cubic spline regression analyses suggested nonlinear associations, with apparent threshold effects at approximately 50 g (∼6 UK or 4 US alcoholic units)/week for mRNFL and mGCIPL thickness. Significantly stronger alcohol–IOP associations were observed in participants at higher genetic susceptibility to glaucoma (Pinteraction < 0.001). Mendelian randomization analyses provided evidence for a causal association with mGCIPL thickness.
Conclusions:
Alcohol intake was consistently and adversely associated with glaucoma and related traits, and at levels below current United Kingdom (< 112 g/week) and United States (women, < 98 g/week; men, < 196 g/week) guidelines. Although we cannot infer causality definitively, these results will be of interest to people with or at risk of glaucoma and their advising physicians.
Financial Disclosure(s):
Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 366-379 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Ophthalmology Glaucoma |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Supported by UCL Overseas Research Scholarship, Fight for Sight (London) (1956A), and The Desmond Foundation (K.V.S.); Moorfields Eye Charity Springboard Award (R.N.L.); The Wellcome Trust (220558/Z/20/Z) (A.N.W.); General Sir John Monash Scholarship (M.A.C.); The Glaucoma Foundation (NYC), Research to Prevent Blindness (NYC), and National Institutes of Health (EY015473 and EY032559) (L.R.P.); National Institutes of Health (NIH EY032559, NIH EY027129, NIH EY014104, NIH EY022305, NIH EY020928, NIH EY031820), Aerpio, Research to Prevent Blindness (NYC), and an ARVO Foundation David Epstein Award (J.L.W.); National Institutes of Health (J.H.K.); Alcon , Fight for Sight (London) (1956A), and The Desmond Foundation (P.J.F.); UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship (MR/T040912/1), Moorfields Eye Charity Career Development Fellowship, and a Lister Institute of Preventative Medicine Fellowship (A.P.K.); financial support from the UK Department of Health through an award made by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to Moorfields Eye Hospital National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust and University College London (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmology for a Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) for Ophthalmology (P.J.F., A.P.K.). The sponsors or funding organizations had no role in the design or conduct of this research.
Funding Information:
Supported by UCL Overseas Research Scholarship, Fight for Sight (London) (1956A), and The Desmond Foundation (K.V.S.); Moorfields Eye Charity Springboard Award (R.N.L.); The Wellcome Trust (220558/Z/20/Z) (A.N.W.); General Sir John Monash Scholarship (M.A.C.); The Glaucoma Foundation (NYC), Research to Prevent Blindness (NYC), and National Institutes of Health (EY015473 and EY032559) (L.R.P.); National Institutes of Health (NIH EY032559, NIH EY027129, NIH EY014104, NIH EY022305, NIH EY020928, NIH EY031820), Aerpio, Research to Prevent Blindness (NYC), and an ARVO Foundation David Epstein Award (J.L.W.); National Institutes of Health (J.H.K.); Alcon, Fight for Sight (London) (1956A), and The Desmond Foundation (P.J.F.); UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship (MR/T040912/1), Moorfields Eye Charity Career Development Fellowship, and a Lister Institute of Preventative Medicine Fellowship (A.P.K.); financial support from the UK Department of Health through an award made by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to Moorfields Eye Hospital National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust and University College London (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmology for a Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) for Ophthalmology (P.J.F., A.P.K.). The sponsors or funding organizations had no role in the design or conduct of this research. Obtained funding: Foster
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