Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that can cause permanent vision loss, and doctors don’t fully understand why some people get it while others don’t. While some risk factors like age and family history can’t be changed, new research suggests that lifestyle choices might matter more than we thought. A review of recent studies found that things like exercise, stress management, good sleep, healthy eating, and maintaining a healthy weight may help reduce glaucoma risk or slow its progression. This doesn’t replace medical treatment, but it suggests that taking care of your overall health could be an important part of protecting your vision.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether everyday lifestyle choices like exercise, diet, sleep, stress levels, and smoking affect the risk of developing glaucoma or how quickly it gets worse
  • Who participated: This was a review study that looked at hundreds of other research papers published between 2009 and 2024, rather than studying new patients directly
  • Key finding: Several lifestyle factors appear to help protect eyes from glaucoma: regular exercise, stress reduction techniques, good sleep habits, healthy eating patterns, and maintaining a healthy weight all showed promise in reducing eye pressure and inflammation
  • What it means for you: While you can’t change your age or family history, you may be able to lower your glaucoma risk by making healthy lifestyle choices. However, these changes should complement—not replace—medical treatment prescribed by your eye doctor

The Research Details

This was a narrative review, which means researchers searched through many scientific databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) to find all studies published between August 2009 and October 2024 about glaucoma and lifestyle factors. They looked for studies about exercise, diet, sleep patterns, stress, smoking, caffeine, body weight, and other daily habits that might affect glaucoma risk or progression. Rather than conducting their own experiment, the researchers carefully read and summarized what other scientists had already discovered, looking for patterns and common findings across multiple studies.

The researchers used many different search terms and combinations to make sure they found all the relevant research available. This approach allowed them to get a comprehensive overview of what we currently know about how lifestyle affects glaucoma, even though the individual studies varied in their methods and quality.

This type of review is useful for identifying trends and areas where more research is needed, but it’s not as strong as a single large, carefully controlled experiment would be.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of permanent blindness worldwide, and current treatments mainly focus on lowering eye pressure. However, many patients still lose vision even with treatment, suggesting that eye pressure isn’t the whole story. By reviewing what’s known about lifestyle factors, researchers can identify new ways to help patients protect their vision beyond just medication. This approach is important because lifestyle changes are often safer, cheaper, and easier for patients to maintain long-term compared to medications alone.

This review has both strengths and limitations. The strength is that it looked at many studies across a 15-year period, giving a broad picture of current knowledge. However, because it’s a review of other studies rather than original research, the quality depends on the studies it examined. The researchers didn’t specify exactly how many studies they reviewed or use a strict scoring system to rate study quality, which means some included studies may have been stronger than others. Readers should understand that this represents a summary of existing evidence rather than definitive proof.

What the Results Show

The review identified several lifestyle factors that appear to help reduce glaucoma risk or slow its progression. Stress reduction techniques like mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive-behavioral therapy showed promise in lowering eye pressure and reducing inflammation in the eye. Managing sleep apnea (a condition where breathing stops during sleep) also appeared beneficial for eye health.

Regular physical activity emerged as another important factor, with studies suggesting that exercise may help reduce glaucoma risk. A healthy diet and maintaining a healthy body weight also appeared to contribute to better eye health and lower glaucoma risk. These findings suggest that overall health and wellness are connected to eye health in ways we’re still learning about.

The research indicates that these lifestyle factors may work by reducing eye pressure fluctuations and decreasing inflammation in the eye—two processes that damage the optic nerve in glaucoma. Importantly, the review emphasizes that these lifestyle changes should be viewed as complementary to standard medical treatment, not as replacements for it.

The review also examined other factors like caffeine consumption, alcohol use, and smoking. While the evidence for these factors was less clear than for exercise and diet, the overall pattern suggests that maintaining healthy habits across multiple areas of life may provide the best protection. The research highlighted that sleep quality and stress levels are particularly important, as poor sleep and chronic stress can increase eye pressure and inflammation.

This review builds on decades of research showing that lifestyle factors affect many chronic diseases. The findings align with what we know about heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions—that exercise, stress management, good sleep, and healthy eating all play protective roles. However, the connection between lifestyle and glaucoma specifically is newer and less well-studied than these other conditions. This review suggests that glaucoma may follow similar patterns, but more research is needed to confirm these connections.

The main limitation is that this review summarizes other studies rather than providing new evidence. The quality of the conclusions depends on the quality of the studies reviewed, and the researchers didn’t use a strict system to rate how reliable each study was. Additionally, many of the individual studies on lifestyle and glaucoma are relatively small or preliminary, meaning the evidence isn’t as strong as it could be. The review also notes that relationships between specific lifestyle factors and glaucoma aren’t yet fully understood, so we can’t say exactly how much each factor matters or how quickly benefits appear. Finally, most research has been done in developed countries, so findings may not apply equally to all populations.

The Bottom Line

Based on this review, people concerned about glaucoma risk should consider: (1) exercising regularly—aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week; (2) managing stress through meditation, yoga, or counseling; (3) improving sleep quality and treating sleep apnea if present; (4) eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables; (5) maintaining a healthy weight; (6) avoiding smoking. These recommendations have moderate confidence because they’re based on multiple studies, but more research is needed to confirm exact benefits. These changes should always complement—never replace—medical care from an eye doctor.

Everyone should care about these findings, but especially people with: a family history of glaucoma, elevated eye pressure, existing glaucoma diagnosis, or other risk factors like being over 60 or having high myopia (nearsightedness). People without these risk factors can still benefit from these healthy lifestyle changes for overall health. However, these recommendations are not a substitute for regular eye exams and medical treatment if glaucoma is diagnosed.

Realistic expectations vary by factor. Some benefits like stress reduction may appear within weeks to months, while others like the effects of regular exercise may take 3-6 months to show measurable changes in eye pressure. Long-term lifestyle changes typically show the most benefit over years of consistent practice. It’s important to maintain these habits consistently rather than expecting quick fixes.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily stress levels (1-10 scale), weekly exercise minutes, sleep hours per night, and monthly eye pressure readings (if available from your doctor). Create a simple log noting which days you practiced stress reduction techniques and rate your overall eye comfort.
  • Set a specific goal like ‘Exercise 30 minutes, 5 days per week’ or ‘Practice 10 minutes of mindfulness daily’ and use the app to send reminders and track completion. Create a weekly meal plan focused on eye-healthy foods like leafy greens, fatty fish, and berries. Set a sleep schedule reminder to maintain consistent sleep times.
  • Review your lifestyle data monthly to identify patterns between your habits and any eye symptoms or pressure changes. Share this information with your eye doctor at regular appointments. Adjust your approach based on what works best for you, and celebrate consistency rather than perfection. Use the app to track long-term trends over 3-6 months to see if lifestyle changes correlate with improved eye health markers.

This review summarizes research on lifestyle factors and glaucoma but is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Glaucoma is a serious condition that requires regular monitoring and treatment by an eye care specialist. While lifestyle changes may help reduce risk or support treatment, they cannot replace prescribed medications or other medical treatments. Always consult with your ophthalmologist or optometrist before making changes to your glaucoma treatment plan. If you have concerns about glaucoma risk or symptoms like vision changes, eye pain, or halos around lights, seek immediate medical attention. This information is for educational purposes only.