Study finds association between blood levels of trace metals and risk of glaucoma

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-08/tjnj-sfa080415.php

Public Release: 6-Aug-2015
Study finds association between blood levels of trace metals and risk of glaucoma
The JAMA Network Journals

In an analysis that included a representative sample of the South Korean population, a lower blood manganese level and higher blood mercury level were associated with greater odds of a glaucoma diagnosis, according to a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and a growing public health concern because of an aging global population. Abnormal body levels of essential elements and exposure to toxic trace metals have been postulated to contribute to the pathogenesis of diseases affecting many organ systems, including the eye, according to background information in the article.

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"Future prospective investigations will be necessary to confirm these associations and to explore the role of trace elements in the pathogenesis of glaucoma,

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