Myopia as a Risk Factor for Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective To determine the association between myopia and open-angle glaucoma. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Participants Thirteen studies involving 48 161 individuals. Methods Articles published between 1994 and 2010 were identified in PubMed, Embase, and reference lists. Study-specific odds ratios (ORs) were pooled using a random effects model. Main Outcome Measures Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of myopia as a risk factor for open-angle glaucoma. Results Data from 11 population-based cross-sectional studies were included in the main analyses. The pooled OR of the association between myopia and glaucoma based on 11 risk estimates was 1.92 (95% CI, 1.54–2.38). On the basis of 7 risk estimates, the pooled ORs of the associations between low myopia (myopia up to −3 D) and glaucoma and between high myopia (≤−3 D myopic) and glaucoma were 1.65 (1.26–2.17) and 2.46 (1.93–3.15), respectively. There was considerable heterogeneity among studies that reported an association between any myopia and glaucoma (I2 =53%) and low myopia and glaucoma (I2 =29%), but not for high myopia and glaucoma (I2 =0%). After omitting studies that contributed significantly to the heterogeneity, the pooled ORs were 1.88 (1.60–2.20) for any myopia and glaucoma and 1.77 (1.41–2.23) for low myopia and glaucoma. Conclusions Individuals with myopia have an increased risk of developing open-angle glaucoma. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.