Objective: This study aimed to systematically evaluate and quantify the impact of menopausal status on intraocular pressure (IOP) and central corneal thickness (CCT) in women, through a comparative meta-analysis.
Method: A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library up to 15 April 2025, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eligible studies included original research comparing IOP and/or CCT between premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed via I2, τ2 and H2 statistics.
Results: Ten studies were analyzed in this meta-analysis, including data from premenopausal and postmenopausal women (totaling 999 eyes). The pooled results indicated that postmenopausal women had significantly higher IOP and reduced CCT compared to premenopausal women. Despite high heterogeneity (I2 = 97.17% for CCT, I2 = 84.20% for IOP), the direction of effect was consistent across most studies. The hormonal decline associated with menopause, particularly reduced estrogen levels, appears to affect corneal structure.
Conclusion: Menopause is associated with elevated IOP and decreased CCT, likely due to hormonal alterations, notably estrogen deficiency. Menopausal status may be a relevant factor in ocular assessments and could have implications for risk assessment in conditions such as glaucoma.
Keywords: Menopause; central corneal thickness; estrogen; glaucoma; intraocular pressure; premenopause.
This study looked at how menopause affects certain aspects of eye health in women – specifically, intraocular pressure (IOP), which is the pressure inside the eye, and central corneal thickness (CCT), which is the thickness of the clear front surface of the eye. Both IOP and CCT are important in assessing the risk for eye diseases like glaucoma.The researchers reviewed and analyzed data from 10 previously published studies, including nearly 1000 eyes from women before and after menopause. The results showed that women after menopause tend to have higher eye pressure (IOP) and thinner corneas (CCT) compared to women who have not yet gone through menopause.These differences are likely caused by hormonal changes that happen during menopause, especially the drop in estrogen levels. Since these changes can influence eye measurements and increase the risk of conditions such as glaucoma, it is important for eyecare practitioners to consider the menopausal status of a woman when evaluating her eye health.In conclusion, menopause appears to play a significant role in changing key eye measurements. Awareness of these changes can help improve early diagnosis and management of eye conditions in postmenopausal women.