Is open-angle glaucoma associated with early menopause? The Rotterdam Study

The authors examined the association between age at menopause and open-angl e glaucoma among women aged greater than or equal to 55 years in the popula tion-based Rotterdam Study (1990-1993). Information on age and type of meno pause was obtained by interview. Subjects (n = 3,078) were stratified into three categories according to age at menopause: < 45 years, 45-49 years, an d greater than or equal to 50 years, with the last group serving as the ref erence group. Diagnosis of open-angle glaucoma was based on the presence of a glaucomatous visual field defect and glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Open -angle glaucoma was diagnosed in 78 women with a natural menopause and 15 w omen with an artificial menopause. In the category of natural menopause, wo men who went through menopause before reaching the age of 45 years had a hi gher risk of open-angle glaucoma than the reference group (odds ratio = 2.6 ; 95% confidence interval. 1.5, 4.8), after adjustment for age and use of h ormone replacement therapy. Among women who went through menopause between the ages of 45 and 49 years, the odds ratio was 1.1 (95% confidence interva l: 0.7, 2.0). These findings suggest that early menopause is associated wit h a higher risk of open-angle glaucoma.