We examined the presence or absence of exfoliative material and measured the intraocular pressure (IOP) of 220 residents of a nursing home. The prevalence of the exfoliation syndrome increased with age and the IOP of persons with the exfoliation syndrome was higher than that of persons without the syndrome. In eyes with the exfoliation syndrome, the IOP had a tendency to decrease with increasing age. Aging had little influence on IOP in eyes without the exfoliation syndrome. There were significant differences between the two groups with regard to the effects of aging on IOP. © 1995 S. Karger AG, Basel.