Do you or a loved one have glaucoma and a history of anxiety and/or depression? New research from Duke University suggests there may be some sort of relationship between anxiety, depression, and glaucoma progression. Learn what the researchers did, what they found, and what it means.* 

What They Did

Using the Duke Glaucoma Registry from 2012 to 2019, researchers evaluated data from 3,259 adults with a diagnosis of glaucoma “suspect”, which refers to a person who demonstrates one or more factors that put them at higher risk for the disease. They then recorded the time it took to develop a glaucoma diagnosis. 

Combinations of psychiatric diagnoses were also measured and placed in different categories. A diagnosis of depression or anxiety had to be present at least five years before the baseline of glaucoma “suspect” categorization.  

What They Found

After analyzing the data, researchers found:

• 46% of patients had either depression or anxiety.
• 19% of patients had both depression and anxiety.
• Psychiatric diagnoses were more likely in women and Caucasian patients.
• 33% of the patients with both anxiety and depression advanced from glaucoma. “suspect” to glaucoma during a follow-up visit.
• Risk for glaucoma development increased with older age, male gender, high intraocular pressure (IOP), and worse disease severity at baseline. 

What This Means

This study indicates there is a correlation between psychiatric disorders and vision health, but more research is needed.

“While there is substantial evidence, the role of psychiatric disorders in glaucoma remains complicated,” Samuel Berchuck, PhD, of Duke University, and colleagues wrote. “Although they may certainly be a consequence of visual loss and glaucoma diagnosis, they may also contribute to disease progression over time.”

*VanDewater, K. (2021, November 1). Anxiety in glaucoma suspects may be associated with future diagnosis. Healio. https://www.healio.com/news/optometry/20211101/anxiety-in-glaucoma-suspects-may-be-associated-with-future-diagnosis