Weightlifting linked to risk of glaucoma

Regular weightlifting may increase the risk of glaucoma, according to a study in September's Archives of Ophthalmology.

Brazilian researchers found that lifting heavy weights was linked to a temporary increase in pressure within the eye, especially when holding the breath, which could increase the risk of glaucoma which is more common in people subjected to frequent changes in eye pressure.

While intraocular pressure normally decreases after aerobic exercise, higher intraocular pressure is found during the Valsava manoeuvre, when air is forced against a closed windpipe and chest pressure increases.

Thirty men with no history of glaucoma had their intraocular pressure measured during bench pressing, each performing four repetitions of a bench press in two ways. There was a higher rise in pressure (4.3mm of mercury) in nine out of 10 subjects when they held their breath during the last repetition and in 62 per cent (2.2mm of mercury) when they exhaled normally during the fourth repetition.