Intraocular pressure values in the Iberian Peninsula: epidemiological study and influencing factors

Purpose

The aim of this study is to provide an update on the intraocular pressure measurements in Iberian Peninsula in order to elucidate their relationships with other clinical factors.

Methods

A multicentric cross-sectional prospective study was carried out on patients attending General Optica centres in Spain and Portugal in collaboration with the University of Valladolid. This study included healthy patients with 18 years and older. Intraocular pressure measurements were taken with different air tonometers for one week. A descriptive statistical analysis of the collected data was then performed to discover possible correlations with intraocular pressure.

Results

Statistically significant differences in the intraocular pressure of the right eye and left eye between patients under 35 years of age and those over 64 years of age were found. An increase in intraocular pressure was also observed in the group with a family history of glaucoma (p < 0.01) and aged over 45 years. Furthermore, intraocular pressure was significantly higher in patients with high blood pressure in the 45–65 age range. The standardised coefficients of variation showed that the variables most strongly related to intraocular pressure were time, followed by a family history of glaucoma and high blood pressure. The variables that had a statistically significant correlation with the intraocular pressure value were the time of measurement and a history of glaucoma.

Conclusion

Intraocular pressure increases with age, and among the variables studied, high blood pressure and family history of glaucoma were the most important risk factors.