Grant: Project Grant

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the world. There are many types of glaucoma but the most frequent is primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). The underlying cause of POAG is unknown. All available treatments focus on lowering eye pressure. High eye pressure is thought to be caused by both biological factors (like genetics and metabolites) and factors related to the environment (like smoking and diet). Recent papers have identified several genes and a metabolite, ascorbic acid, that are related to eye pressure. However, most diseases are multifactorial meaning there is more than one cause and the causes interact together. No studies have reported on how genes, metabolites, and environmental factors interact together to affect eye pressure. Using data from 20,000 adults in the CLSA Comprehensive Cohort, we plan to investigate this question. Better understanding of the genetic, metabolomic, and environmental causes of high eye pressure could help to further understand the causes of POAG, to prevent POAG, and to develop more effective therapies.