Preprint · Jan 2026
Can lifestyle interventions improve healthspan and symptoms in patients with glaucoma? A scoping review
By Santos MTG, Scheer V, de Vasconcelos GS
Glaucoma is a major ocular neurodegenerative disease and a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, with prevalence projected to exceed 110 million by 2040. Although the lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP) is recognized as the only proven treatment, emerging evidence suggests that modifiable lifestyle factors may influence some outcomes for this condition. In recent years, increasing attention has been given to the potential role of modifiable lifestyle factors in glaucoma prevention and management. Lifestyle medicine emphasizes the importance of behaviors such as regular physical activity, healthy nutrition, restorative sleep, stress management, social connectedness, and the avoidance of harmful substances, including smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, as key determinants of healthspan and longevity. These factors may influence glaucoma through multiple biological pathways, including vascular regulation, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, metabolic health, and neuroprotection. Despite the growing interest in these associations, the evidence remains fragmented across different lifestyle domains. Furthermore, the extent to which lifestyle interventions have been systematically investigated, and their reported effects on both clinical outcomes and broader healthspan-related outcomes, is still unclear. Therefore, a scoping review is warranted to map the existing literature on lifestyle interventions in patients with glaucoma, identify the range of interventions studied, summarize their reported effects, and highlight gaps for future research and clinical practice.