title: Hypothyroidism and the development of open-angle glaucoma in a male population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of glaucoma using a large cohort of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nested case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients seen at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama with newly diagnosed glaucoma between 1997 and 2001 were selected (n = 590) and age-matched to nonglaucoma controls (n = 5897).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient information was extracted from the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center data files containing demographic, clinical, and medication information. An index date was assigned to the glaucoma subjects corresponding to the time of diagnosis. Patients who had a glaucoma diagnosis before the observation period of the study were excluded. Ten controls were randomly selected for each patient and matched on age (+/-1 year) and an encounter on or before the index date of the matched case.
  
  
  METHODS
  Odds ratios (ORs) for the association between the prior diagnosis of hypothyroidism and the risk of developing glaucoma with adjustment for the presence of diabetes, lipid metabolism disorders, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, arterial disease, and migraines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for the other potential risk factors, patients were significantly more likely to have prior hypothyroidism than controls (OR, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.97).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study has demonstrated a significantly greater risk of subjects with a preexisting diagnosis of hypothyroidism developing glaucoma, compared with controls, in a large Veterans Affairs Medical Center population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294-0009, USA. cgirkin@uabmc.edu
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Girkin
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McGwin
authors.forename: Sandre F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: McNeal
authors.forename: Paul P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Owsley
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011897:Random Allocation; D012307:Risk Factors; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D013974:Thyroxine