For people who have a genetic predisposition to higher eye pressure, drinking too much coffee almost quadruples the risk of glaucoma.
- About one in two patients is unaware that they have glaucoma, which is the main cause of blindness in rich countries.
- High caffeine intake alone does not lead to an increased risk of elevated intraocular pressure and/or glaucoma.
- People who have a genetic predisposition to have high intraocular pressure should drink less than 3 cups of coffee a day.
Coffee has many health benefits, as long as you don’t exceed six cups a day or want to counter the effects of a sleepless night. Its consumption can notably reduce the risk of prostate cancer, limit the risk of hearing loss or even help eliminate fat during a sports session. However, not everyone is equal when it comes to caffeine. According to a study published on December 14 in the journal Ophthalmologypeople who have a genetic predisposition to higher eye pressure have a three times higher risk of glaucoma if they drink too much coffee.
Glaucoma, a late onset disease
This research, conducted by American researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, is the first to present a link between dietetics and genetics in the context of glaucoma. This focused on the effects of caffeine consumption on intraocular pressure, the pressure inside the eye, which, if elevated, is one of the risk factors for glaucoma. It is important to prevent this risk because patients with glaucoma usually have few or no symptoms until the disease has progressed to the point where vision loss occurs. About one in two patients is unaware that they have this disease, which is the main cause of blindness in rich countries.
The researchers examined more than 120,000 participants, aged 39 to 73, from the UK Biobank, a British database that compiles huge amounts of information from a large cohort. The authors of the study thus analyzed the genetic and dietary data of these volunteers, and in particular their coffee consumption. In addition, the participants provided information on various characteristics of their vision, including their family history of glaucoma. The researchers also measured their intraocular pressure three years after inclusion in the study.
A 3.9 times higher risk
The results revealed that high caffeine intake alone does not lead to an increased risk of elevated intraocular pressure and/or glaucoma. In participants with a strong genetic predisposition for this pressure to be significant, drinking too much coffee is indeed linked to a higher prevalence of glaucoma. This high consumption starts from 3 cups per day and the risk of glaucoma is then 3.9 times higher compared to those who drink little or no coffee.
“Glaucoma patients often ask how they can protect their eyesight through lifestyle changes, but this area has been relatively understudied to date. This study suggests that people at the highest genetic risk for glaucoma should reduce their coffee consumption”the study authors concluded.
This link between increased risk of glaucoma and coffee consumption only concerns a very specific part of the population. “The link between caffeine and the risk of glaucoma is only observed with a large quantity of coffee and in the event of a strong genetic predisposition to a elevated intraocular pressure”, tempered the researchers.
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