Researchers recently observed a significantly higher rate of adverse pressure elevation associated with steroid-induced ocular hypertension in younger patients compared with older ones after intravitreal dexamethasone implant injection.

This retrospective observational study included 570 eyes of 455 patients. The team measured IOP prior to injection and after one week and one, two, three, six and 12 months. They then compared the results among seven categories based on patient age.

The investigators found that the IOP elevation rate was highest in patients younger than 31 at 42.9% and decreased with age, with patients between the ages of 81 and 90 with a rate of 9.1%. They also discovered a significant stepwise increase in the odds ratio with decreasing age groups.

“Therefore, caution is required when prescribing steroids to younger patients (<51 years),” the study authors concluded in their paper.