A US study showed increased physical activity slowed rates of visual field loss in patients with glaucoma.

Patients who took an additional 5000 daily steps or 2.6 hours of physical activity decreased the average rate of visual field loss by approximately 10%, according to research at Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore.

All 141 participants wore accelerometers for one week to measure their daily steps and minutes of moderate to vigorous activity. Researchers analysed visual field measurements before and after physical activity.

Further studies are needed to determine if physical activity can slow VF loss in glaucoma or if progressive VF loss results in activity restriction, the study published in Ophthalmology said.