Androgen deprivation therapy may reduce the risk of primary open-angle glaucoma in patients with prostate cancer: a nationwide population-based cohort study

Background: We evaluated the risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) according to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) status in patients with prostate cancer. Materials and methods: From the nationwide claims database in South Korea, 218,203 men with prostate cancer were identified between 2008 and 2017. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 170,701 patients (42,877 in the ADT and non-ADT groups and 127,824 in the non-ADT group) were included in the analysis. To adjust for comorbidities between cohorts, exact matching was performed. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of POAG associated with ADT after controlling for potential confounding factors. Results: In the matched cohort, the ADT group had a lower proportion of newly developed POAG than the non-ADT group (2.10% vs. 2.88%, respectively; P < 0.0001). Multivariable analysis revealed that the ADT group had a significantly lower risk of POAG than the non-ADT group (HR, 0.808; 95% CI, 0.739–0.884; P < 0.0001). The risk of POAG was lower in patients who underwent ADT for less than 2 years (HR, 0.782; 95% CI, 0.690–0.886; P = 0.0001) and in those receiving ADT for over 2 years (HR, 0.825; 95% CI, 0.744–0.916; P = 0.0003) compared with the non-ADT group. Conclusions: The use of ADT was associated with a decreased risk of POAG in Korean patients with prostate cancer. Our findings suggest that testosterone may be involved in the pathophysiology of POAG, and this should be confirmed through further studies.