Study of the relationship between serum lipid levels and primary open-angle glaucoma

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the association between serum lipid levels and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods: In this case-control study, 50 patients with POAG documented by clinical tests using standard ophthalmologic equipment and 50 age-matched controls were investigated. Twelve-hour fasting serum lipid profiles, including total cholesterol, serum triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), and high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), were compared between the cases and controls. Results: The mean age of cases and controls was 62.84 ± 9.68 and 60.12 ± 8.65, respectively ( P = 0.65). High total cholesterol levels (>200 mg/dl) were found in 23 cases (46%) and 8 controls (16%); high serum triglyceride levels (>150 mg/dl) were found in 24 cases (48%) and 7 controls (14%); high LDL levels (130 mg/dl) were found in 28 cases (56%) and 9 controls (18%); and low HDL levels (<40 mg/dl) were found in 38 cases (76%) and 30 controls (60%). The mean total cholesterol levels were 205.24 ± 36.90 mg/dl in cases and 177.68 ± 22.56 mg/dl in controls ( P < 0.001); the mean serum triglyceride levels were 150.42 ± 49.55 mg/dl and 130.84 ± 23.16 mg/dl, respectively ( P = 0.013); and the mean LDL levels were 139.50 ± 31.03 mg/dl and 114.96 ± 17.73 mg/dl, respectively ( P < 0.001). The mean cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL levels were significantly higher in cases than in controls ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: The present study shows that higher proportion of POAG patients have dyslipidemia compared to age-matched controls. Though these findings need to be replicated by others. This study opens new vistas for further studies, such as lowering dyslipidemia, lowering the intra-ocular pressure and incidence of POAG, and whether the use of statins to reduce dyslipidemia affects the progression of POAG.

Profile of Lipoprotein Subclasses in Chinese Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients

“…Controversial results in the association between the conventional lipid parameters and POAG have been reported [13][14][15][16][17][18]. In this study, we observed a significant increase in the small granular subclasses of LDL (LDL3 and sdLDL) and the oxidized derivative oxLDL in POAG patients with elevated TC and/or LDL-C levels.…”

“…Our previous study demonstrated that POAG patients had significantly higher fasting plasma triglycerides (TGs) but lower high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels at recruitment as compared to the control subjects [8]. Other studies reported a higher prevalence of elevated total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in POAG patients [13], and the risk of POAG is positively associated with elevated TC levels, while the treatment to reduce TC might decrease the risk of POAG [14,15]. In contrast, a negative correlation between HDL-C levels and the risk of POAG [16], an inverse association between hyperlipidemia and POAG, as well as a lack of correlation between the blood levels of TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C with POAG were also reported [16][17][18][19].…”

Study of the Relation between Primary Open Angle ‎Glaucoma and Serum Lipid Levels

“…Previous results elucidated that their investigations delineate a significant correlation between elevated serum lipid concentrations and an augmented risk of POAG. The average levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL were significantly elevated in the case group versus the group, ascertained with a 95% CI, whereas the variance in HDL levels between the two groups did not present a statistically significant discrepancy (21) . The previous results underscored the profound linkage between elevated levels of cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides, alongside reduced HDL, and their association with POAG.…”

Regulatory role of cholesterol in modulating actin dynamics and cell adhesive interactions in the trabecular meshwork

“…Hyperlipidemia is associated with an increased risk of elevated IOP and glaucoma with poor mechanistic understanding (5, 6, 73, 74). Systemic cholesterol levels are closely related to glaucoma occurrence and IOP elevation (3–6). Interestingly, cholesterol-lowering statins lower IOP and reduce the incidence of glaucoma (8, 38).…”

“…Previous studies have found that cholesterol and its biogenic pathway are closely related to POAG occurrence and IOP elevation. Glaucoma patients showed a significantly higher total cholesterol levels than patients without glaucoma (3–5) and meta-analysis reported that increased cholesterol levels are associated with a higher risk of glaucoma and IOP elevation (6). Our recent work provided evidence that the inactivation of the transcription factors sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs), involved in fatty acid and cholesterol biogenesis, significantly lowered intraocular pressure (7).…”