Frequency of moderate to high myopia in primary open-angle glaucoma in tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness in the adult population worldwide with Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma being its most common type. Moderate to high myopia is one of the various risk factors associated with POAG. Early detection and management of glaucoma in patients can slow down its progression and prevent vision loss. Objective: To evaluate the frequency of moderate to high myopia in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) and to find out the association between myopia and POAG. Methodology: A total of 100 participants were included in this cross-sectional study through consecutive sampling techniques. Refractive error was measured through an auto refractometer. Glaucomatous Patients were diagnosed as POAG on clinical findings (elevated IOP and optic nerve changes), visual field loss, and/or retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) defects. The anterior chamber angle was evaluated with the Van Herrick technique. Association between myopia and independent variables were statistically determined. Results: The mean age of all the participants was 52.36 ± 15.350.  The frequencies of low, moderate, and high myopia were 34%, 12.5%, and 4% respectively. Male gender had a significant association with the high prevalence of low myopia in patients with POAG (p-value <0.05). Illiteracy and low and middle-class socioeconomic background were the other significant risk factors.  Conclusion: Myopia is the major risk factor in POAG and other factors like illiteracy and a  poor socioeconomic background attributed to it should be screened and assessed so that earlier detection in the population can prevent vision loss.