To elucidate the family history of glaucoma (FHG) as a risk factor for ocular hypertension(OH) vs glaucomatous optic nerve damage, we reviewed the clinical records of 361 primary open-angle glaucoma(POAG) patients, 178 OH subjects, and 927 normal controls randomly selected from an urban medical center eye clinic. The prevalence of a positive FHG was 27% in the POAG patients, 47% in the OH subjects, and 11% in the normal controls. Whereas a positive FHG was a significant risk factor for both OH and glaucoma compared to normal control subjects (OR = 7.56, 95% CI: 5.27-10.85, P < .0001 for OH; OR = 3.15, 95% CI: 2.31-4.31, P < .0001), it was a risk factor more significantly for OH than for glaucoma being significantly more prevalent in OH than in POAG (OR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.65-3.49, P < .0001). These results suggest the importance of additional risk factors other than IOP for glaucomatous optic nerve damage.
Aged ; Family Health ; Female ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle/epidemiology/*genetics ; Humans ; *Intraocular Pressure ; Male ; Ocular Hypertension/epidemiology/*genetics ; Optic Nerve Diseases/epidemiology/*genetics ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Random Allocation ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study is to comprehensively explore the risk factors of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in China.

METHODSTwo groups of data based on distinct resources were analyzed to explore the risk factors of POAG. One group of data was based on hospital records between 1995 and 2000 which composed of 107 patients with POAG and 149 controls without POAG. The other group of data was based on 40 patients with POAG and 120 matched controls without POAG. The former was designed by non-matched case control study, the latter was done by 1:3 matched case control study. The relationships between POAG and the factors such as age, sex, family history, diabetes, hypertension, intraocular pressure (IOP), cardiovascular diseases, smoking, drinking and mutation of TIGR gene were studied by logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThe simple factor analysis showed that the risk of POAG was related to age, family history, hypertension, IOP, cardiovascular diseases, smoking, drinking and the mutation of TIGR gene (T353I). However, logistic regression analysis confirmed that POAG mainly related to IOP, family history, hypertension, smoking, alcohol intake and the mutation of TIGR gene.

CONCLUSIONThe most important risk factor of POAG was IOP. Family history, hypertension, smoking and the mutation of TIGR gene were also important risk factors of POAG. However, alcohol intake was a protective factor for POAG.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; adverse effects ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; Eye Proteins ; genetics ; Female ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; epidemiology ; genetics ; Glycoproteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects