High Caffeine Consumption May Increase Risk of Glaucoma in Those with a Genetic Predisposition

Article: High Caffeine Consumption may be Associated with Increased Risk of Blinding Eye Disease
Source: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, via ScienceDaily  and NEI
Article: Too Much Caffeine Might Raise Your Odds for Glaucoma
Source: HealthDay News, via AOA
Published: June 7, 2021

Large amounts of caffeine consumption may increase risk of glaucoma for those with high genetic risk for the disease, according to a study that analyzed medical records of more than 120,000 participants in the U.K. Biobank database between 2006 and 2010. Three years after answering a variety of questionnaires about their caffeine intake and family history, the participants' intraocular pressure was measured. The investigators found that for individuals who consumed more than 321 milligrams of daily caffeine (roughly three cups of coffee), there was a 3.9-fold higher glaucoma prevalence when compared to those who drink no or minimal caffeine and did not have a strong family history of glaucoma. Additionally, those who consumed the highest amount of daily caffeine (more than 480 milligrams or roughly four cups of coffee) had a 0.35 mmHg higher IOP. The lead author adds, “We previously published work suggesting that high caffeine intake increased the risk of the high-tension open angle glaucoma among people with a family history of disease. In this study we show that an adverse relation between high caffeine intake and glaucoma was evident only among those with the highest genetic risk score [those in the top 25th percentile of risk] for elevated eye pressure.” These findings about dietary-genetic interaction in glaucoma could help to inform patients' lifestyle to decrease risk for those with a strong predisposition to elevated eye pressure.

Personal commentary : Tea consumption might confer some protection against glaucoma. A study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology from 2017 found that people who reported drinking hot tea more than six times a week (i.e., “daily”) were 74% less likely to have glaucoma compared to those who were not tea fans. The survey was conducted by a UCLA professor. "Interestingly," she said, "it was only hot, caffeinated tea that was associated with a lower glaucoma risk." Decaf tea, iced tea, and coffee, both caffeinated and not, did not show this relationship.

My rating of this study: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kim J, Aschard H, Kang JH, et al. "Intraocular Pressure, Glaucoma, and Dietary Caffeine Consumption: A Gene–Diet Interaction Study from the UK Biobank." Ophthalmology.  128(6):866-876. 1 June 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2020.12.009