■ A large study in Taiwan shows normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients are at high risk for developing Alzheimer disease (AD), suggesting that such individuals be screened for the condition. Previous studies evaluating the link between glaucoma and AD were mixed, investigator Yu-Yen Chen, MD, PhD, from the Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan said in a news release. Few studies focused only on normal-tension glaucoma, however.

Researchers analyzed data collected over more than 12 years from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database and compared the incidence of AD in 15,317 people with NTG and 61,268 age-matched and gender-matched controls. After adjusting for diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, and stroke, they found that those with NTG were 52% more likely to develop AD than those without glaucoma. Older individuals, women, or people with history of stroke had the highest incidence. Glaucoma medication was not protective, nor did it increase the incidence of AD.