• About
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Thursday, December 5, 2024
Newsletter
SUBSCRIBE
  • Latest News
  • All Sections
    • Ophthalmic insights
      • Policy & regulation
      • Company updates & acquisitions
      • Research
      • Clinical trials
      • Workforce
      • Product approvals
      • Conferences
      • Opinion
      • Indigenous eye health
      • Retail
    • Eye disease
      • Dry eye
      • Myopia
      • Cataract
      • Glaucoma
      • Macular disease – AMD
      • Diabetic eye disease
      • Inherited retinal disease
      • Corneal disease
      • Presbyopia
      • Eye infections
    • Ophthalmic Careers
      • New appointments
      • Industry profiles
      • Graduates
    • Ophthalmic organisations
      • Regulators
      • Optometry networks
      • Private ophthalmology clinics
      • Associations
      • Patient support bodies
      • Eye research institutions
      • Optometry schools
      • Optical Dispensing trainers
      • Medical schools
      • RANZCO
  • Features
    • Report
    • Soapbox
  • Ophthalmic education
    • CPD – Optometry
    • Optical Dispensing
    • Orthoptics Australia
    • Practice management
  • Products
    • Ophthalmic Treatments
      • Ophthalmic lenses
      • Lens treatments
      • Myopia interventions
      • Light-based therapy
      • Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)
      • Gene therapy
      • Laser treatments
      • Supplements
      • Eyewear & frames
      • Behavioural optometry/vision training
      • Contact lenses
      • Anti-VEGF
      • Intraocular lenses (IOLs)
      • Pharmaceuticals & consumables
    • Ophthalmic equipment & diagnostics
      • Biometry – axial length
      • Perimetry & visual fields
      • OCT
      • Phoropter
      • Autorefractor
      • Tonometry
      • Topography
      • Multimodal imaging
      • Retinal imaging
      • Anterior segment imaging
      • Software & data management
      • Microscopes
      • Slit lamps
      • Lens edging
      • Stands, chairs and tables
      • Ultrasound
      • Dry eye diagnostics
      • Low vision aids
  • Research
  • Classifieds
No Results
View All Results
  • Latest News
  • All Sections
    • Ophthalmic insights
      • Policy & regulation
      • Company updates & acquisitions
      • Research
      • Clinical trials
      • Workforce
      • Product approvals
      • Conferences
      • Opinion
      • Indigenous eye health
      • Retail
    • Eye disease
      • Dry eye
      • Myopia
      • Cataract
      • Glaucoma
      • Macular disease – AMD
      • Diabetic eye disease
      • Inherited retinal disease
      • Corneal disease
      • Presbyopia
      • Eye infections
    • Ophthalmic Careers
      • New appointments
      • Industry profiles
      • Graduates
    • Ophthalmic organisations
      • Regulators
      • Optometry networks
      • Private ophthalmology clinics
      • Associations
      • Patient support bodies
      • Eye research institutions
      • Optometry schools
      • Optical Dispensing trainers
      • Medical schools
      • RANZCO
  • Features
    • Report
    • Soapbox
  • Ophthalmic education
    • CPD – Optometry
    • Optical Dispensing
    • Orthoptics Australia
    • Practice management
  • Products
    • Ophthalmic Treatments
      • Ophthalmic lenses
      • Lens treatments
      • Myopia interventions
      • Light-based therapy
      • Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)
      • Gene therapy
      • Laser treatments
      • Supplements
      • Eyewear & frames
      • Behavioural optometry/vision training
      • Contact lenses
      • Anti-VEGF
      • Intraocular lenses (IOLs)
      • Pharmaceuticals & consumables
    • Ophthalmic equipment & diagnostics
      • Biometry – axial length
      • Perimetry & visual fields
      • OCT
      • Phoropter
      • Autorefractor
      • Tonometry
      • Topography
      • Multimodal imaging
      • Retinal imaging
      • Anterior segment imaging
      • Software & data management
      • Microscopes
      • Slit lamps
      • Lens edging
      • Stands, chairs and tables
      • Ultrasound
      • Dry eye diagnostics
      • Low vision aids
  • Research
  • Classifieds
No Results
View All Results
Home Eye disease

Researchers find link between glaucoma and loneliness

by Staff Writer
August 9, 2024
in Eye disease, Glaucoma, News, Research
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Participants with loneliness or social isolation had higher cumulative incidences of glaucoma. Image: rh2010/stock.adobe.com

Participants with loneliness or social isolation had higher cumulative incidences of glaucoma. Image: rh2010/stock.adobe.com

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A UK study, published in BMC Public Health, has found loneliness and social isolation may be associated with a higher risk of glaucoma.

The study recruited 373,330 participants without glaucoma from the UK Biobank – a large population-based cohort study of more than 500,000 participants aged between 40 and 69 years – between 2006 and 2010.

Self-reported questionnaires were used to define loneliness and social isolation, with incident glaucoma events identified by hospital inpatient admissions and self-reported data.

During a median 13.1 years of follow-up, the researchers recorded 6,489 cases of glaucoma after the study baseline, and participants with loneliness or social isolation had higher cumulative incidences of glaucoma.

The researchers factored in age at recruitment, sex, race, education, smoking status, moderate drinking, physical activity, healthy diet, body mass index (BMI), history of hypertension, history of hypercholesterolemia, and history of diabetes when calculating the relative risk of developing glaucoma.

Taking these factors into consideration, participants who experience loneliness and social isolation were 16% and 8% more likely to develop glaucoma, respectively, relative to the control group.

It has been suggested that loneliness and social isolation enhance stress reactivity, with increasing metabolic stress shown to contribute to the damage and dysfunction of the glaucomatous neurovascular unit

Meanwhile, morphological changes in the trabecular meshwork may lead to elevated IOP. Finally, loneliness and social isolation increase the levels of inflammation and oxidative stress by upregulating sympathetic activity which may accelerate retinal ganglion death.

“Our finding underscores the necessity of positive mental and social network intervention for individuals at high risk of glaucoma,” the study authors said.

“Further research is needed to clarify the effects of loneliness and social isolation on specific subtypes of glaucoma.”

More reading

Visual test could predict dementia onset a decade before diagnosis

New study reveals importance of managing poor vision in people with dementia

Researchers say gene therapy breakthrough shows promise for glaucoma

Related Posts

A new WA clinic will give Aboriginal communities and others greater access to eyecare. Image: Sawoon/stock.adobe.com

New clinic will help address inequities in Aboriginal eyecare

by Staff Writer
December 5, 2024

A new eye clinic aims to make a significant impact in transforming eyecare for Aboriginal communities in Western Australia. A...

Or lack of it, depending on where you live, is the concern of the CPMC and others. Image: BJP7images/stock.adobe.com.

Health ministers warned that fast-track changes could bring ‘postcode’ health care

by Staff Writer
December 5, 2024

Australia’s state health ministers have been warned that the proposed fast-track registration of Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) risks exacerbating...

Alcon has confirmed its new Unity systems are now registered in Australia, and will be commercially available in 2025. Image: Konektus Photo/Shutterstock.com.

All-new Alcon Unity vitreoretinal and cataract systems approved in Australia

by Myles Hume
December 4, 2024

Alcon has revealed its “highly anticipated” Unity Vitreoretinal Cataract System and Unity Cataract System have been included on the Australian...

Join our newsletter

Insight has been the leading industry publication in Australia for more than 40 years. This longevity is largely due to our ability to consistently deliver accurate and independent news relevant to all ophthalmic professionals and their supporting industry.

Subscribe to our newsletter

About Insight

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Collection Notice
  • Privacy Policy

Popular Topics

  • Business
  • Feature
  • Research
  • Technology
  • Therapies
  • Classifieds

© 2024 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited

No Results
View All Results
NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE
  • Latest News
  • All Sections
    • Ophthalmic insights
      • Policy & regulation
      • Company updates & acquisitions
      • Research
      • Clinical trials
      • Workforce
      • Product approvals
      • Conferences
      • Opinion
      • Indigenous eye health
      • Retail
    • Eye disease
      • Dry eye
      • Myopia
      • Cataract
      • Glaucoma
      • Macular disease – AMD
      • Diabetic eye disease
      • Inherited retinal disease
      • Corneal disease
      • Presbyopia
      • Eye infections
    • Ophthalmic Careers
      • New appointments
      • Industry profiles
      • Graduates
    • Ophthalmic organisations
      • Regulators
      • Optometry networks
      • Private ophthalmology clinics
      • Associations
      • Patient support bodies
      • Eye research institutions
      • Optometry schools
      • Optical Dispensing trainers
      • Medical schools
      • RANZCO
  • Features
    • Report
    • Soapbox
  • Ophthalmic education
    • CPD – Optometry
    • Optical Dispensing
    • Orthoptics Australia
    • Practice management
  • Products
    • Ophthalmic Treatments
      • Ophthalmic lenses
      • Lens treatments
      • Myopia interventions
      • Light-based therapy
      • Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)
      • Gene therapy
      • Laser treatments
      • Supplements
      • Eyewear & frames
      • Behavioural optometry/vision training
      • Contact lenses
      • Anti-VEGF
      • Intraocular lenses (IOLs)
      • Pharmaceuticals & consumables
    • Ophthalmic equipment & diagnostics
      • Biometry – axial length
      • Perimetry & visual fields
      • OCT
      • Phoropter
      • Autorefractor
      • Tonometry
      • Topography
      • Multimodal imaging
      • Retinal imaging
      • Anterior segment imaging
      • Software & data management
      • Microscopes
      • Slit lamps
      • Lens edging
      • Stands, chairs and tables
      • Ultrasound
      • Dry eye diagnostics
      • Low vision aids
  • Research
  • Classifieds
  • About Us
  • Advertise with Insight
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Insight

© 2024 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited