Impact of exercise on intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients

Key Takeaways

• A new Spanish study found that exercise, especially aerobic exercise, may help modulate intraocular pressure (IOP) and may serve as a complementary therapy for patients with glaucoma.
• Larger, standardized, and longer-term studies are needed to robustly corroborate these preliminary findings.

Recent studies have reported that active and healthy living can reduce intraocular pressure (IOP), the pressure or force inside of your eyes. Since untreated high eye pressure can lead to glaucoma and harm your vision, many patients have consulted their doctors for lifestyle guidance based on this evidence.

To increase the body of evidence regarding the impact of physical exercise on IOP, Daniel González-Devesa, PhD, from the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, Universidad de León, León, Spain, and colleagues, conducted a literature search of English, Portuguese, or Spanish studies on the effect of exercise on IOP in glaucoma. They excluded case reports and yoga-based interventions. The results were published in the journal Ophthalmology. 

“Our findings indicated that both aerobic and resistance training led to an immediate IOP reduction post-exercise. In addition, exercise may serve as complementary therapy in glaucoma patients, potentially reducing glaucoma progression risk,” González-Devesa and colleagues reported.

While they believe that their study underscores the potential benefit of exercise in IOP management, they offered the caveat that their findings were in large part obtained from single-session experiments and that the effects of longer-term exercise programs on IOP varied. They added, “the evidence remains inconclusive due to variations in study design, participant demographics, and exercise parameters. This lack of consistency in the research highlights the necessity for larger, standardized, and longer-term studies to robustly corroborate these preliminary findings.” 

Edited by Miriam Kaplan, PhD

Source:

Lynda Charters, Ophthalmology Times, August 22, 2024; see source article