Use of Diuretics and Risk of Acute Angle Closure: A Case-Control Study

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To examine the possible link between acute angle closure (AAC) with use of diuretics.

Methods

A nested case-control study (NCC) was conducted among a cohort of diuretic users using the PharMetrics Plus database from 2006 to 2020. Cases were identified as the first international classification of diseases 9^th and 10^th editions (ICD-9/10) code for ACC. For each case, 4 controls were selected and matched to the cases by age and sex using density-based sampling. A conditional logistic regression model was used to compute rate ratios (RRs) adjusted for the drugs topiramate, bupropion, sulphonamide antibiotics, acetazolamide, and sulfasalazine. The RRs for a negative control drug, amlodipine, was also assessed.

Results

From the initial cohort of 713 574 diuretics users, 1 553 cases and 6 212 controls were identified. No increase in the risk of AAC with current users of diuretics was found (RR = 1.06, (95% CI: 0.81–1.37) for all diuretics; RR = 0.97, (95% CI: 0.71–1.32) for thiazides; RR = 1.24, (95% CI: 0.90–1.73) for loop diuretics; RR = 0.99, (95% CI: 0.73–1.36) for potassium sparing).

Conclusion

We found no increase in the risk of acute angle closure with use of diuretics. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings.

KEYWORDS:

• Acute angle closure
• case-control study
• diuretics
• drug safety

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by Internal Funds from the UBC Department of Ophthalmology.