Chronic kidney disease and glaucoma have bidirectional association: Study

Singapore: A bidirectional association has been found between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and glaucoma in a new study conducted at the National University of Singapore. This association may be due to underlying common risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension. The research article was published in EClinicalMedicine.  

Glaucoma poses a significant public health concern worldwide as it damages the optic nerve and leads to irreversible blindness if left unattended. It contributes substantially to health as well as the personal and social-economic burdens. Another highly prevalent disease is chronic kidney disease (CKD), which involves a gradual loss of kidney function. CKD has been implicated in multiple ocular diseases, including glaucoma. Both diseases share several risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, and have common pathogenic pathways like oxidative stress and fluid dysregulation.

Faye Yu Ci Ng, National University of Singapore, Singapore, and colleagues conducted a study to evaluate a bidirectional association between CKD and glaucoma, as previous studies had yielded conflicting results.

Investigators searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, including full-length English articles published in peer-reviewed journals reporting on glaucoma and CKD as either exposure or outcome, among participants aged ≥18 years. They pooled overall summary estimates of odds ratios using random-effect meta-analysis and conducted subgroup meta-analyses and univariate meta-regression. They identified 14 articles comprising 3 retrospective cohort studies and 12 cross-sectional studies from 2,428 records, including 1,978,254 participants. The risk of bias was low to moderate.