Caffeinated Beverages and Glaucoma: Is There a Link?

In this interview from Glaucoma 360, Dr. Anne Coleman describes her recent retrospective analysis exploring the link between caffeine intake and glaucoma risk. Her study, which was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, analyzed fundus photographs and visual fields data from 1,678 American adults who consumed caffeinated beverages such as tea, coffee or soft drinks. Surprisingly, hot tea drinkers alone showed a lower risk of glaucoma. The findings indicate that the antioxidants found in tea—and not those in coffee—may be beneficial to eye health. Dr. Coleman cautions that further studies are needed to confirm the correlation before doctors recommend hot tea to people at risk of glaucoma.

 

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