Glaucoma medications may accelerate early presbyopia progression, study suggests

A Japanese study found that patients with primary open-angle glaucoma in their 30s required stronger near vision correction earlier than their peers without glaucoma, suggesting a possible link between glaucoma therapy and faster presbyopia progression.

Researchers retrospectively analyzed 293 phakic adults aged 30–39 years and compared them with 187 controls. Overall, 106 patients with glaucoma who had been using topical medication for at least 6 months showed significantly higher near add power (1.61 D vs 0.91 D, P < 0.01), with over half requiring ≥1.50 D correction.

The group with glaucoma reached this near add threshold notably earlier than controls in Kaplan-Meier analysis (P < 0.01). Although factors such as age, refractive errors, and retinal layer thickness correlated with near add power, the study highlights a potential role for glaucoma treatment in the earlier onset of presbyopia.

Reference
Ayaki M, Hanyuda A, Negishi K. Increased near add power in pre-presbyopic glaucoma patients treated with medication. Clin Exp Optom. 2025;1-10. doi: 10.1080/08164622.2025.2564693. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41017690.