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The following is a summary of “Associations between serum lipids and glaucoma: a cohort study of 400 229 UK Biobank participants,” published in the February 2025 issue of Ophthalmology by Ma et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the linkage of serum lipid levels, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) with glaucoma.  

They analyzed data from 4,00,229 participants in the UK Biobank to examine associations between serum lipids and glaucoma. Cox regression, restricted cubic spline models, and polygenic risk scores were applied for statistical analysis. The UK Biobank enrolled over 5,00,000 individuals aged 40–69 years between 2006 and 2010. Participants completed a touchscreen questionnaire and a verbal interview and underwent physical assessments at 1 of 22 centers.  

The results showed that over a mean follow-up of 14.44 years, 6,868 (1.72%) participants developed glaucoma. Multivariate Cox regression indicated that a 1-SD increase in HDL-C was linked to a higher glaucoma risk (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.02–1.08, P =0.001). In contrast, elevated LDL-C (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.99, P =0.005), TC (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94–1.00, P =0.037), and TG (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.99, P =0.008) were associated with lower glaucoma risk. Polygenic risk analysis showed that a 1-SD increase in HDL-C genetic risk correlated with a 5% higher glaucoma hazard (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00–1.11, P =0.031), while LDL-C, TC, and TG genetic risk scores had no significant associations.  

Investigators concluded that elevated HDL-C was associated with an increased risk of glaucoma, while elevated LDL-C, TC, and TG levels were associated with a decreased risk, highlighting the complex relationship between lipid profiles and glaucoma. 

Source: bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2025/01/14/bjo-2024-326062