title: Intraocular Pressure: Does it Measure Up?
abstract: The relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma is complex and not fully understood. We question the validity of several claims relating to the IOP-glaucoma relationship: (1) that 12 mm Hg is an important target in IOP control; (2) that IOP variability is an important risk factor for glaucoma progression; and (3) that every millimeter of mercury of IOP lowering reduces the risk of glaucoma progression by some specific percentage amount. Further, IOP is generally accepted to be an important - if not most important - risk factor for glaucoma development and progression. Using measures of treatment effect - absolute risk reduction, relative risk, and relative risk reduction - we compare the strength of IOP as a risk factor to the strength of a cardiac risk factor in cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Denver, 1380 Lawrence Street, Suite 1400, Denver, CO 80204, USA.
authors.forename: M Roy
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Kuldev
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh