Coffee consumption and outdoor activities: Key risk factors for pseudoexfoliation syndrome

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) is an age-related systemic disease that primarily affects the eyes. The objective of this study is to assess the major risk factors of PEX among patients at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of adults aged 50 years and above. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. The presence of ocular associations was determined using the chi-squared, Fischer’s exact test, and independent t -tests. A P value of less than 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 423 adults were included in the study. The mean age of the participants was 63.8 (±9.4) years, with 51.3% of the sample comprising females. The prevalence of PEX was found to be 35.7%. In 58.9% of cases, the condition was bilateral. The mean intraocular pressure was markedly elevated in eyes with pseudoexfoliation (25.02 ± 9.66 mmHg in the right eye and 26.32 ± 9.53 mmHg in the left eye) in comparison with eyes without pseudoexfoliation (16.82 ± 5.1 mmHg in the right eye and 16.74 ± 4.3 mmHg in the left eye) ( P < 0.001). The analysis identified age >70 years (95% CI, AOR: 2.94 [1.59–5.43]), coffee consumption (95% CI, AOR: 2.83 [1.75–4.55]), and outdoor activities (95% CI, AOR: 2.32 [1.21–4.44]) as major risk factors for PEX. CONCLUSION: The consumption of coffee, participation in outdoor activities, and age were identified as significant risk factors for the development of PEX. The prevalence of PEX among participants aged 50 years and above is notably high. It is recommended that further studies be conducted at the cellular and molecular levels to gain a deeper understanding of the true nature of PEX and its impact on the population.