Is Open-Angle Glaucoma Associated with Early Menopause?

• Published in: American journal of epidemiology Vol. 154; no. 2; pp. 138 - 144
• Main Authors: Hulsman, Caroline A. A., Westendorp, Iris C. D., Ramrattan, Raan S., Wolfs, Roger C. W., Witteman, Jacqueline C. M., Vingerling, Johannes R., Hofman, Albert, de Jong, Paulus T. V. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 15-07-2001; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: confidence interval; estrogens; Glaucoma; hormone replacement therapy; intraocular pressure; menopause; odds ratio; open-angle; risk factors; women
• ISSN: 0002-9262; 1476-6256
• DOI: 10.1093/aje/154.2.138

The authors examined the association between age at menopause and open-angle glaucoma among women aged ≥55 years in the population-based Rotterdam Study (1990–1993). Information on age and type of menopause was obtained by interview. Subjects (n = 3,078) were stratified into three categories according to age at menopause: <45 years, 45–49 years, and ≥50 years, with the last group serving as the reference group. Diagnosis of open-angle glaucoma was based on the presence of a glaucomatous visual field defect and glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Open-angle glaucoma was diagnosed in 78 women with a natural menopause and 15 women with an artificial menopause. In the category of natural menopause, women who went through menopause before reaching the age of 45 years had a higher risk of open-angle glaucoma than the reference group (odds ratio = 2.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.5, 4.8), after adjustment for age and use of hormone replacement therapy. Among women who went through menopause between the ages of 45 and 49 years, the odds ratio was 1.1 (95% confidence interval: 0.7, 2.0). These findings suggest that early menopause is associated with a higher risk of open-angle glaucoma.