title: Glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease: an 8-year population-based follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most common type of glaucoma. An association between POAG and the subsequent risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) was unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between POAG (including normal-tension glaucoma) and the subsequent risk of AD or PD 8 years following a diagnosis of POAG.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective, propensity-score-matched analysis of a population-based cohort consisting of patients with and without POAG aged 60 years and older. Control patients without POAG were propensity-score matched to POAG patients based on their baseline characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence rates and confidence intervals (CIs) of AD among the patients with and without POAG were 2.85 (95% CI: 2.19-3.70) and 1.98 (95% CI: 1.68-2.31) per 1000 person-years, respectively. The incidence rates of PD among the POAG and non-POAG cohorts were 4.36 (95% CI: 3.52-5.39) and 4.37 (95% CI: 3.92-4.86) per 1000 person-years, respectively. Kaplan-Meier failure curves showed that the POAG patients had a higher risk of AD than the control patients did (log-rank test, P= .0189). However, the cumulative PD hazard ratios for the POAG and non-POAG patients did not differ significantly (log-rank test, P= .9953).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In elderly patients, POAG is a significant predictor of AD, but POAG is not a predictor of PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Chan
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yuan-Hung
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsung-Jen
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Jong
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yun-Dun
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yun-Den
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Nai-Fang
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.affiliation: School of Health Care Administration, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Nien
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Chien
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology