Abstract
Purpose :
To determine longitudinal change of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness in patients with hypertension (HTN).
Methods :
Participants without any ophthalmic disease were divided into 2 groups: a HTN group (50 eyes) that included patients with HTN ≥ 5 years and a control group. After the initial visit, pRNFL thickness were measured 4 times more with a 1-year interval between examinations using spectral-domain OCT. The pRNFL thickness was fitted with linear mixed models. Univariate and multivariate generalized linear mixed models were used to determine the factors associated with pRNFL reduction over time.
Main outcome measures: The pRNFL thickness and rate of pRNFL thickness reduction.
Results :
The mean age of the HTN and control groups were 62.9 and 60.7 years, respectively, and they were not not significantly different (P = 0.089). The baseline mean pRNFL thicknesses were 90.50 and 93.90 μm; they were significantly different (P = 0.049). The mean pRNFL reduction rate was -1.14 μm/year and -0.40 μm/year in the HTN and control groups, respectively; the interaction between group and duration was significant (P < 0.001). In the HTN group, all sectors showed a significant reduction over time. In the control group, only superior sector showed a significant reduction over time. In the linear mixed model determination of factors associated with pRNFL reduction, there were no significant factors in the control group. In the HTN group, age, and axial length showed significant results in both univariate and multivariate analyses (estimate, -0.43 and -3.59; P, 0.016 and 0.005, respectively).
Conclusions :
Patients with HTN had a significantly greater decrease in pRNFL than normal individuals. Additionally, age and axial length affected the reduction of pRNFL in HTN patients significantly.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.