Alcohol and smoking linked to glaucoma in African adults
Lifetime heavy episodic drinking, defined as more than two drinks per occasion, was linked to 40% higher glaucoma odds than having two or fewer.
A cross-sectional study included 9,418 people aged 40 or older in Nigeria, Ghana and Malawi. Of these, 5,189 had primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of glaucoma. Glaucoma damages the nerve carrying visual signals to the brain. The other 4,229 were controls. Researchers examined participants’ eyes and collected substance-use information through structured interviews. The study ran from 2017 to 2023.
Alcohol use and tobacco smoking were each independently associated with glaucoma. Former and current drinkers had higher odds than people who never drank. Lifetime drinking of more than two drinks per occasion was associated with 40% higher odds than having two or fewer. The analysis also linked both former and current smoking to glaucoma. Older age, male sex, higher education and unemployment were independently associated with the disease.
Why it matters
For glaucoma, an eye disease associated with older age, the results raise a question about whether reducing substance use could contribute to prevention.
Caveats
The cross-sectional design could not establish whether alcohol or tobacco use caused glaucoma. For current drinkers, the range of likely values included no difference.
