CAFFEINE AND INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE

J Glaucoma. 2005 Dec;14(6):504-7

According to this study that was published in December:

"Participants with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) who reported regular coffee drinking had significantly higher mean IOP (19.63 mm Hg) than participants who said that they did not drink coffee (16.84 mm Hg). Participants consuming > or = 200 mg caffeine per day had higher mean IOP (19.47 mm Hg) than those consuming < 200 mg caffeine per day (17.11 mm Hg).

"No association between coffee or caffeine consumption and higher IOP was found in participants with ocular hypertension and those without open-angle glaucoma.

"CONCLUSIONS: In participants with open-angle glaucoma, this study identified a positive cross-sectional association between coffee consumption/higher caffeine intakes and elevated intraocular pressure."

I mentioned this study in December to a COAG patient who was about 2-3mmHg over his target IOP. I kept him on his Lumigan and he said he'd try to cut back on coffee. When I saw him this morning his IOP was down 1 mmHg below target in the right eye and 2mmHg in the left.

Of course the jury's still out. My patient could have just been affected by diurnal fluctuation. But it might be worth mentioning this to COAG patients that consume a lot of caffeine and have borderline IOP.