Exercise may lower glaucoma risk

Researchers recently reviewed survey data within the United States and found that physically active people have a 73 percent lower risk of developing glaucoma.

Glaucoma affects almost 3 million people in the United States and while there is no cure, early detection will allow for treatments that can help to preserve vision. Researchers at the University of California - Los Angeles sought to determine if there was a link between exercise intensity and glaucoma. They examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. What they found is that it's not just exercise that may lessen the glaucoma risk, but people who exercise with higher speed and more steps of running or walking potentially lessen their risk even more. Previous studies have noted that blood flow and pressure inside the eye may change with exercise, which may also lessen the glaucoma risk. More research is needed but researchers advise that exercise should be recommended for overall health including eye health.*