Higher levels of LDL-C, HDL-C, and total cholesterol tied to increased intraocular pressure

UK: Serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was found to be positively associated with intraocular pressure (IOP) in a cohort of 100,000 patients. Further, triglycerides (TGs) were found to be negatively associated. These are the results from a recent study published in the journal Ophthalmology.

"An increase by one standard deviation in the cholesterol levels was associated with an IOP increase of 0.07-0.19 mmHg," Kian M. Madjedi, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK, and colleagues wrote in their study.

Serum lipids are modifiable, and routinely collected blood tests that are associated with cardiovascular health. Dr. Madjedi and colleagues aimed to investigate the association of commonly collected serum lipid measures (total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, LDL-C, and triglycerides with intraocular pressure. 

For this purpose, the researchers included a total of 94 323 participants of UK Biobank and 6 230 participants of EPIC-Norfolk (mean age 68 years) with data on LDL-C, TG, HDL-C, and TC collected between 2006-2009. The associations of serum lipids with IOPcc were examined using multivariable linear regression after adjusting for lifestyle, demographic, anthropometric, medical and ophthalmic covariables.