Older women with primary open-angle glaucoma had 25% lower macular pigment optical density compared to those without the disease, according to a recent study.

Published in Clinical Nutrition, the study found a significant correlation between low macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in older women. Using data from the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (CAREDS2), researchers analyzed 426 women with a mean age of 80 years. MPOD was measured with customized heterochromatic flicker photometry during CAREDS2 (2016-2019) and CAREDS1 (2001-2004).

Results showed that eyes with POAG had 25% lower MPOD than non-glaucomatous eyes (mean MPOD: 0.40 vs. 0.53 optical density units, P = .01). Women in the higher MPOD quartiles had significantly lower odds of developing POAG, with odds ratios (OR) of 0.25 (95% CI, 0.08-0.80) for quartile 2, 0.12 (95% CI, 0.03-0.56) for quartile 3, and 0.44 (95% CI, 0.17-1.17) for quartile 4 compared to quartile 1 (P trend = .01).

Researchers suggested that low MPOD may be a novel risk factor for POAG, highlighting the potential of dietary interventions to increase macular pigment levels for glaucoma prevention. The study emphasized the role of lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids concentrated in the macula, in maintaining eye health and reducing glaucoma risk.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.