Abstract
Purpose: :
To study the existence of a correlation between ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) and arterial pulse pressure (PP) in individuals with glaucoma, ocular hypertension and normals.
Methods: :
Ninety eyes from 90 patients were selected in which: 30 were recently diagnosed with glaucoma before starting on any hypotensive medications, 30 had elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) without any evidence of glaucoma, and 30 were included in the control group with IOP within normal range and without any evidence of glaucoma. They all underwent Goldmann applantion tonometry, dymanic contour tonometry (Pascal tonometer), blood pressure (BP), pachymetry, Humphrey visual field, and routine ophthalmologic examination. The OPA was recorded by the Pascal tonometer. Pulse pressure was calculated by systolic blood pressure minus diastolic blood pressure.
Results: :
Mean OPA in the glaucoma group was 3.4 ± 1.2 mmHg, ocular hypertensive 3.5 ± 1.2 mmHg, and normals 2.6 ± 0.9 mmHg. Mean PP was 48.8 ± 10.5 mmHg in the glaucoma patients, 43.8 ± 11.1 mmHg in the ocular hypertensives, and 40.0 ± 8.7 mmHg in the normals. There was a positive correlation when the three groups were evaluated together using Pearson correlation coefficient (r = 0.245).
Conclusions: :
The difference between systolic IOP and diastolic IOP, which is the ocular pulse amplitude, had a positive correlation with the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Keywords: intraocular pressure • blood supply