Women who have taken oral contraceptives for three or more years are twice as likely to suffer from glaucoma, shows recent research.
3,406 women aged 40 or over completed a vision and reproductive health questionnaire and underwent eye examinations in the US study. The study found that females who had used oral contraceptives – regardless of which type – for longer than three years are 2.05 times more likely to report a diagnosis of glaucoma than women who had not been taking oral contraceptives.
The researchers advise that patients should be informed to have their eye screened for glaucoma if they also have other risk factors such as a family history of glaucoma, existing visual field defects or a history of increased eye pressure.
