Study finds associations between blood, perfusion pressures and open-angle glaucoma in adult Latinos

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2010;doi:10.1167/iovs.08-2956.

Low perfusion pressure, low diastolic blood pressure, and high systolic and high mean blood pressures were strongly correlated with a high prevalence of open-angle glaucoma, according to a study.

"There indeed was a significant association with low diastolic blood pressure, but none with low systolic or mean blood pressures," the authors said. "This finding reflects the fact perfusion pressure is not dependent on blood pressure alone, but is influenced by IOP."

The analysis included 6,130 adults aged 40 years and older from the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study who completed a questionnaire and underwent ocular and clinical examinations.

Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher, diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher, active anti-hypertensive therapy, or all three.

Hypotension was defined as systolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or less or diastolic blood pressure of 60 mm Hg or less.

Study data showed that IOP was statistically significantly higher in patients with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (both P < .001). Low systolic and diastolic perfusion pressures, mean perfusion pressure and low diastolic blood pressure correlated with a greater prevalence of open-angle glaucoma in the study population.

Investigators saw no relationship between prevalence of open-angle glaucoma and other cardiovascular risk factors.

A 10 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure correlated with a 0.33 mm Hg rise in IOP. A 10 mm Hg spike in diastolic blood pressure correlated with a 0.44 mm Hg increase in IOP, the authors said.