Alcohol consumption, genetic risk, and intraocular pressure and glaucoma

A study examined the association of alcohol consumption with intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma and assessed whether any associations are modified by a glaucoma polygenic risk score (PRS).
Cross-sectional analysis of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Comprehensive Cohort, consisting of 30,097 adults ages 45 to 85 years, was performed. Data were collected from 2012 to 2015. Alcohol consumption frequency (never, occasional, weekly, and daily) and type (red wine, white wine, beer, liquor, and other) were measured by an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Total alcohol intake (grams/week) was estimated. IOP was measured in mm Hg using the Reichert Ocular Response Analyzer. Participants reported a diagnosis of glaucoma from a doctor.
Daily drinkers had higher IOP compared to those who never drank. An increase in total weekly alcohol intake (per 5 drinks) was also associated with higher IOP. The association between total alcohol intake and IOP was stronger in those with a higher genetic risk of glaucoma. 1,525 participants reported being diagnosed with glaucoma. Alcohol consumption frequency and total alcohol intake were not associated with glaucoma.
Alcohol frequency and total alcohol intake were associated with elevated IOP but not with glaucoma, the research found. The polygenic risk score modified the association between total alcohol intake and IOP. Findings should be confirmed in longitudinal analyses, the study authors comment.
Source: Alyssa Grant, Marie-Hélène Roy-Gagnon, Joseph Bastasic, Akshay Talekar, Mahsa Jessri, Gisele Li, Ralf Buhrmann, Ellen E. Freeman; Alcohol Consumption, Genetic Risk, and Intraocular Pressure and Glaucoma: The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2023;64(10):3.