Premium
A link between diabetes mellitus and glaucoma — Danish Nationwide Study
Author(s) -
Horwitz A.,
Petrovski B.É.,
Petrovski G.,
TorpPedersen C.,
Kolko M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2016.0581
Subject(s) - medicine , diabetic retinopathy , diabetes mellitus , glaucoma , concomitant , population , diabetic nephropathy , incidence (geometry) , hazard ratio , danish , ophthalmology , endocrinology , confidence interval , linguistics , philosophy , physics , environmental health , optics
Purpose To determine the effect of anti‐diabetic medication on glaucoma. Furthermore, to investigate if diabetic comorbidities and concomitant medications are associated with glaucoma in patients treated with anti‐diabetic medication. Methods Retrospective nationwide cohort study, spanning a 16‐year follow‐up period. The National Danish Registry of Medicinal Products Statistics was used to identify all claimed prescriptions for glaucoma medication and anti‐diabetic drugs. Comorbidities with diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy were identified using the ICD‐10 classification and the Danish National Patient Register. Results A total of 6,343,747 individuals in the period 1996–2012 were included. The overall incidence rates of new‐onset glaucoma were 0.07 and 0.36 per 1,000 person‐years for the reference population and for diabetes mellitus, respectively. Patients treated with anti‐diabetic drugs at any time during the study period had a significantly higher overall relative risk of glaucoma (RR = 5.11, p < 0.0001), even when controlling for age, gender, diabetic retinopathies and calendar year‐fixed effects (RR = 2.05, p < 0.0001). For patients treated with anti‐diabetic drugs, we found an increased hazard for development of glaucoma in patients with diabetic retinopathies (HR = 1.40) and joint complications with diabetic retinopathies and diabetic nephropathy (HR = 1.40). Furthermore, we found that concomitant antihypertensive medications were associated with an increased likelihood of glaucoma overall, while treatment with β ‐blocker and RAS, in combination, are associated with a significantly lower risk (HR = 0.87). Conclusions Use of anti‐diabetic drugs is strongly associated with use of anti‐glaucomatous drugs. Diabetic complication as well as concomitant antihypertensive medications affect the risk of glaucoma in patients treated with anti‐diabetic drugs.