Relationship Between Intraocular Pressure and Obesity in Children

To establish the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and obesity in children.Seventy-two obese children (body mass index in the 95th percentile or greater) were compared with 72 age-matched and sex-matched controls (body mass index95th percentile). Both groups underwent Goldmann applanation tonometry (3 times), blood pressure measurement (3 times), and Hertel exophthalmometry. Paired and unpaired t tests and the Cochran-Mantel-Haenzel statistics were used for statistical analysis.The mean IOP between the obese children and controls were significantly different (P0.0001), even after adjusting for systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P0.001). Diurnal variation of IOP was higher in obese children (P0.001). Obese children had higher Hertel values (P0.001). Sex did not significantly effect IOP in either group (P0.05).In addition to its indirect effect on IOP via blood pressure change, obesity is also an independent risk factor for increased IOP.