Coffee is an important part of many people's morning routines. Despite its many benefits, too much caffeine can aggravate certain health conditions.
For instance, too much daily coffee intake is associated with a higher risk of developing glaucoma. The risk is even greater by three folds to those with a genetic predisposition to glaucoma.
But experts said that it does not mean people should quit drinking coffee. Instead, being mindful of daily coffee consumption could help lessen the risk of having blinding eye disease.
They published their findings of the study, "Intraocular Pressure, Glaucoma, and Dietary Caffeine Consumption," in the journal Opthalmology.
Coffee and Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States, which makes the study relevant to finding risk factors that could aggravate the health condition.
Elevated eye pressure is a key risk factor for developing glaucoma, although other factors may also contribute to the condition. Patients with glaucoma typically do not experience symptoms not until the disease progresses and they lose their vision.
The study shows an adverse effect of high caffeine intake on glaucoma that was evident to those with the highest risk score for elevated IOP, Ahmedabad Mirror reported.
Some studies also reported that an hour after drinking coffee, the IOP in the participant's eye increased by 1mmHg. Although, this is not a clinically significant increase that could cause glaucoma.
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Drinking Too Much Coffee Increases Intraocular Pressure (IOP)
The news outlet reported that researchers used the data from UK Biobank and analyzed records of over 120,000 participants between 2006 and 2010 who are 39 to 73 years old. They answered dietary questionnaires about their daily caffeine intake, whether they drink or eat caffeinated products and how often they do so.
They also answered questions about their vision and possible family history of glaucoma. Their IOP and eye measurements were checked three years later.
Researchers found that high caffeine intake was not associated with the overall increased risk for higher IOP and glaucoma, but it is linked to three folds increase in participants who are predisposed to elevated IOP. The greater coffee they consume, the greater likelihood they have of developing higher IOP and glaucoma.
Health Day reported that those who consume over 480 milligrams of coffee daily, or roughly more than four cups, had a 0.35 mmHg higher IOP. While those in the highest risk group who consume over 321 milligrams of coffee every day or roughly three cups. have 3.9 times higher glaucoma prevalence.
As of now, further studies are needed to directly link caffeine intake to glaucoma. New evidence in the future might shed some light on the matter, but the only proven way to know the risk of developing glaucoma is to regularly see an eye doctor and improve lifestyle to reduce the chances of having glaucoma.
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