An international study of 427,480 adult UK Biobank participants found calcium-channel-blocking (CCB) drugs, used to lower blood pressure, were associated with 39% higher odds of developing glaucoma.
The study’s authors, from the UK, US and Chile, also found that thinner macular ganglion cell, inner plexiform and myelinated retinal nerve fibre layer measurements supported the glaucoma association in those using CCBs. "Our analyses provide further large-scale evidence supporting those previously reported associations and suggest that the adverse association between CCB use and glaucoma risk may act via IOP-independent mechanisms," they wrote in JAMA Ophthalmology. “Although a causal relationship has not been established, CCB replacement or withdrawal may be considered should glaucoma progress despite optimal care.”
