Evidence of Stroke in Glaucoma Patients

Background: As the communal cause of irreversible vision loss in seniors, glaucoma affects more than 67 million people worldwide. Those who suffer from glaucoma have traditionally demonstrated a higher rate of developing stroke. Numerous studies have investigated the relationship between glaucoma and increased stroke risks, but they differ wildly in conclusive findings. To better elucidate the overall findings of the collective studies, a systematic review with the objective of determining the relationship between glaucoma and an increased risk of stroke. Methods: A systematic database search including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library as well as unpublished literature was done. Distiller SR, a systematic review software was utilized. After two levels of screening, “Title and Abstract” and “Full text” screening, risk of bias assessment and extraction of the data from the included articles were conducted. STATA 14.0 was used to conduct the meta-analysis. The hazard ratio (HR) was the primary outcome measure. Results: Nine studies (376,650 subjects) were included in the analysis. Results indicated a significant hazard of stroke in patients with open-angle glaucoma (HR = 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.08, 1.71]), normal-tension glaucoma (HR = 6.34, 95% CI: [4.8, 8.38]), and neovascular glaucoma (HR = 2.07; CI: [1.41, 3.03]). Studies examining risks of stroke development showed a significant increase in the relative risks (RR) of developing stroke for those with glaucoma (RR = 2.10, CI: [1.64, 2.68]). Conclusions: The hazard of developing stroke could be greater for patients with glaucoma. However, randomized controlled trials with longer-term follow-ups need to be conducted in the future in order to make strong conclusions.