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Following a study at the American Academy of Ophthalmology of three thousand women over the age of forty lead professor Lin from San Francisco reports that women who had been prescribed and taking the contraceptive pill were at higher risk of glaucoma. As glaucoma can cause irreparable damage to the optic nerve more research is needed to rule out the suggestion that hormones, in particular oestregen is involved in it's development. The 3406 women were interviewed for details of their history of reproduction and all undertook a full eye examination.No matter the type of pill that had been taken, it was recorded that women who had used the pill as contraception for three years or over were twice as likely to have had a glaucoma diagnosis.There are many other social and genetic factors to be mindful of when looking at this result however, such as ethnicity ( glaucoma is more prevalent amongst Africans) raised eye pressure, the vision
( short sightedness) and patients who are diabetic.
The request for more OBS/GYN's to be mindful of the possible link and to encourage eye screening and make information more accessible is in demand.