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Abstract #19283 Published in IGR 9-3
Autonomic dysfunction in unselected and untreated primary open angle glaucoma patients: A pilot study
Gherghel D; Hosking SL; Armstrong R; Cunliffe IAOphthalmic and Physiological Optics 2007; 27: 336-341
PURPOSE: To investigate the presence of silent cardiac ischaemic episodes and the status of autonomic function in consecutive, newly diagnosed and untreated primary open-angle glaucoma patients. METHODS: Twenty-four consecutively diagnosed glaucoma patients and 22 age-matched controls were subjected to ambulatory 24-h blood pressure (BP) and electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring by using Cardiotens-01 (Meditech Ltd). Based on the ECG recordings, heart rate variability (HRV) frequency domain parameters [low-frequency (LF), high-frequency (HF) and LF/HF ratio] were calculated and analysed in the two study groups. RESULTS: Glaucoma patients demonstrated higher LF and LF/HF values than normal subjects for both the active period (p = 0.020 and 0.029) and the passive period (p = 0.044 and 0.049 respectively). HRV parameters were similar in patients and controls suffering from silent cardiac ischaemia (p > 0.05); however, glaucoma patients with normal ECG demonstrated higher LF and LF/HF values during the active period of the 24-h measurement period than control subjects characterized by the same cardiac activity (p = 0.010 and 0.021 respectively). CONCLUSION: Independent of a history and/or clinical signs of cardiovascular disease, glaucoma patients exhibit abnormal autonomic function.
Dr. D. Gherghel, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK. d.gherghel@aston.ac.uk
Classification:
9.2.2 Other risk factors for glaucoma (Part of: 9 Clinical forms of glaucomas > 9.2 Primary open angle glaucomas)
9.4.15 Glaucoma in relation to systemic disease (Part of: 9 Clinical forms of glaucomas > 9.4 Glaucomas associated with other ocular and systemic disorders)
