Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2012 Aug;19(8):942-7.
doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3182443137.

Estrogen deficiency accelerates aging of the optic nerve

Thasarat S Vajaranant  1 , Louis R Pasquale
Affiliations
Review

Estrogen deficiency accelerates aging of the optic nerve

Thasarat S Vajaranant et al. Menopause. 2012 Aug.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive review on hormone-based pathophysiology of aging of the optic nerve and glaucoma, including a literature review and expert opinions. Glaucoma, a group of intraocular pressure-related optic neuropathies, is characterized by the slow progressive neurodegeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons, resulting in irreversible visual sensitivity loss and blindness. Increasing evidence suggests that glaucoma represents the accelerated aging of the optic nerve and is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. This review highlights the high burden of glaucoma in older women and the importance of understanding the hormone-related pathophysiology of optic nerve aging and glaucoma in women. Strong epidemiological, clinical, and experimental evidence supports the proposed hypothesis that early loss of estrogen leads to premature aging and increased susceptibility of the optic nerve to glaucomatous damage. Future investigations into the hormone-related mechanisms of aging and glaucoma will support the development of novel sex-specific preventive and therapeutic strategies in glaucoma.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Fig 1A. The relationship between aging and glaucoma pathophysiology. Abbreviations: RGC, retinal ganglion cells; RNFL, retinal nerve fiber layer; IOP, intraocular pressure. Fig 1B. The potential protective effects of female sex hormones on glaucoma pathophysiology. Abbreviations: RNFL, retinal nerve fiber layer; IOP, intraocular pressure; PMH, postmenopausal hormone.
Fig 1
Fig 1
Fig 1A. The relationship between aging and glaucoma pathophysiology. Abbreviations: RGC, retinal ganglion cells; RNFL, retinal nerve fiber layer; IOP, intraocular pressure. Fig 1B. The potential protective effects of female sex hormones on glaucoma pathophysiology. Abbreviations: RNFL, retinal nerve fiber layer; IOP, intraocular pressure; PMH, postmenopausal hormone.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Dolman CL, McCormick AQ, Drance SM. Aging of the optic nerve. Arch Ophthalmol. 1980 Nov;98(11):2053–8. - PubMed
    1. Quigley HA, Dunkelberger GR, Green WR. Retinal ganglion cell atrophy correlated with automated perimetry in human eyes with glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol. 1989 May 15;107(5):453–64. - PubMed
    1. Harwerth RS, Wheat JL, Rangaswamy NV. Age-related losses of retinal ganglion cells and axons. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Oct;49(10):4437–43. - PubMed
    1. Budenz DL, Anderson DR, Varma R, Schuman J, Cantor L, Savell J, Greenfield DS, Patella VM, Quigley HA, Tielsch J. Determinants of normal retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured by Stratus OCT. Ophthalmology. 2007 Jun;114(6):1046–52. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sung KR, Wollstein G, Bilonick RA, Townsend KA, Ishikawa H, Kagemann L, Noecker RJ, Fujimoto JG, Schuman JS. Effects of age on optical coherence tomography measurements of healthy retinal nerve fiber layer, macula, and optic nerve head. Ophthalmology. 2009 Jun;116(6):1119–24. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types