Oral contraceptives may be a risk factor for glaucoma, according to a study presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
The study was led by the University of California, Duke University, in North Carolina, and Nanchang University, in China. The scientists based their research on the medical records of 3,406 American women aged 40 years or older. They discovered that the women who had taken oral contraceptives for three or more years, regardless of the type, were 2.05 times more likely to develop glaucoma.
The study found no direct causal link between the contraceptives and glaucoma, but indicates that long-term use of the products could be a potential risk factor for glaucoma. This study should be an impetus for future research to prove the cause and effect of oral contraceptives and glaucoma, said Shan Lin, lead researcher, from the University of California San Francisco. At this point, women who have taken oral contraceptives for three or more years should be screened for glaucoma and followed closely by an ophthalmologist, especially if they have any other existing risk factors.
Source:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131118091418.htm
