Myopia and glaucoma in the South Korean population.

PURPOSE: To examine the association between myopia and glaucoma, visual field defects, optic disc structural damage, and IOP in a population with a high prevalence of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).

METHODS

Data were included from 13,433 participants in the 2008 to 2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional study. Spherical equivalent was used to define refractive status as emmetropia (-0.99 to 0.99 diopters [D]), mild myopia (-1.00 to -2.99 D), moderate myopia (-3.00 to -5.99 D), severe myopia (<-6 D), and hyperopia (≥+1.00D). Glaucoma was defined by International Society for Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology (ISGEO) criteria.

RESULTS

Compared with those with emmetropia, the odds of a glaucoma diagnosis were higher with moderate myopia (odds ratio [OR] 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-4.1) and severe myopia (OR 4.6, CI 2.3-9.4). Visual field defects were increased for mild myopia (OR 2.3, CI 1.2-4.5) and severe myopia (OR 20.9, CI 6.3-68.6). Optic disc structural damage was increased for moderate myopia (OR 1.8, CI 1.2-2.5) and severe myopia (OR 2.3, CI 1.5-3.7). Mean IOP was higher for mild myopia (14.4 mm Hg, CI 14.2-14.5 mm Hg), moderate myopia (14.7 mm Hg, CI 14.4-15.0 mm Hg), and severe myopia (14.7 mm Hg, CI 14.3-15.2 mmHg) compared with those with emmetropia (14.0 mm Hg, CI 13.9-14.1 mm Hg).

CONCLUSIONS

In South Koreans, more severe myopia was associated with greater odds of glaucoma as defined by ISGEO criteria.