# The Role of Refractive Error in the Etiology of Glaucoma

> **NIH NIH R01** · KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 2020 · $389,015

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Refractive error is the most common type of visual impairment in humans and is associated with an increased
risk of developing other vision disorders, including primary open angle glaucoma. While an epidemiological
association between these two traits is well established, the link is not well understood at a clinical,
pathological, and mechanistic level. For this reason, investigating the role of refractive error in the etiology of
primary open angle glaucoma can illuminate an important feature in the development of this common and
complex vision disorder. This study will address the question of whether the mechanisms that underlie the link
between refractive error and primary open-angle glaucoma operate directly through refractive error, or
indirectly through shared effects, or both. For this purpose, we will conduct detailed genetic analyses that
utilize a unique and powerful resource: the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) Genetic
Epidemiology Research on Adult Heath and Aging (GERA) cohort on 110,266 subjects. This sample is ideal
because it is a single, large, multi-ethnic cohort with existing genome-wide genotype data linked to detailed
electronic health records on individuals' refractive error and glaucoma diagnoses. The findings from this study
will lay the foundation for mechanistic studies in animal models that recapitulate the features of myopia-
induced glaucoma in humans.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9964822
- **Project number:** 5R01EY027004-04
- **Recipient organization:** KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Helene Choquet
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $389,015
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9964822

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9964822, The Role of Refractive Error in the Etiology of Glaucoma (5R01EY027004-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9964822. Licensed CC0.

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