Exercise (Eventually) Cuts Glaucoma Risk 25 Percent

One more thing that exercise is good for: your eyes. Researchers in Britain are persuaded that even moderate exercise, albeit years of it, cuts the chances of developing glaucoma by about 25 percent. HealthDay reports that the study, published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, looked at the association between physical activity and eye pressure in 5,650 men and women aged 48 to 90. Based on information they provided about their work and leisure time physical activity, they were categorized as inactive, moderately inactive, moderately active or active. HealthDay reports that the researchers found that moderate physical exercise performed about 15 years previously was associated with a 25 percent reduced risk of low ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), an important risk factor for glaucoma. A journal news release quotes the study’s author, Dr. Paul Foster, of the University College London Institute of Ophthalmology: “It appears that OPP is largely determined by cardiovascular fitness,” said Foster. “We cannot comment on the cause, but there is certainly an association between a sedentary lifestyle and factors which increase glaucoma risk.”

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