American Journal of Ophthalmology
Volume 142, Issue 1 , Pages 60-67.e1, July 2006

Association of Blood Pressure Status With the Optic Disk Structure in Non-glaucoma Subjects: The Thessaloniki Eye Study

  • Fotis Topouzis, MD

      Affiliations

    • II Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
    • Corresponding Author InformationInquiries to Fotis Topouzis, MD, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, II Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital “Papageorgiou” Periferiaki Odos Thessalonikis N Efkarpia 56403, Thessaloniki, Greece
    • ,
  • Anne L. Coleman, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Center for Eye Epidemiology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
    • ,
  • Alon Harris, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana
    • ,
  • Christian Jonescu-Cuypers, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
    • ,
  • Fei Yu, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Center for Eye Epidemiology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
    • ,
  • Leonidas Mavroudis, MD

      Affiliations

    • II Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
    • ,
  • Eleftherios Anastasopoulos, MD

      Affiliations

    • II Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
    • ,
  • Theofanis Pappas, MD

      Affiliations

    • II Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
    • ,
  • Archimidis Koskosas, MD

      Affiliations

    • II Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
    • ,
  • M. Roy Wilson, MD, MS

      Affiliations

    • Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas

Accepted 10 February 2006. published online 27 April 2006.

Purpose

To study the association of blood pressure (BP) status on the optic disk structure as measured with the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT) in people without glaucoma.

Design

Cross-sectional population-based setting study.

Methods

Consecutive participants in the Thessaloniki Eye Study were included in this study. HRT images of the optic disk and BP measurements were taken. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP (SBP) ≥140 mm Hg, diastolic BP (DBP) ≥90 mm Hg, or both. Subjects were classified in three groups by SBP and DBP. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the three groups with respect to the HRT parameters. Regression models adjusted for age, gender, height, disk size, intraocular pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and duration of antihypertensive treatment were used for each HRT parameter to compare values among the different groups. The P value was considered significant at <.05.

Results

A total of 232 subjects were included in the analysis. Rim area was significantly different among groups when DBP was considered as the criterion to classify subjects (P = .005). In regression models, cup area, and cup-to-disk (c/d) ratio were increased in subjects with normal DBP that was the result of treatment, as compared with both the high DBP and untreated normal DBP groups.

Conclusions

In patients without glaucoma, the DBP <90 mm Hg that results from antihypertensive treatment is associated with increased cupping and decreased rim area of the optic disk. This information should be considered in research aiming to define the role of the BP status as an independent factor initiating optic disk changes and/or as a contributing factor to glaucoma damage.

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 See accompanying Editorial on page 144.Supported in part by the International Glaucoma Association, London, United Kingdom; UCLA Center for Eye Epidemiology, Los Angeles, California; Health Future Foundation, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska; Glaucoma Research and Education Foundation, Indianapolis, Indiana; Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas; Pfizer Inc, New York, New York; Merck and Co Inc, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey; Pharmacia Hellas, Athens, Greece; and Novartis Hellas, Athens, Greece. All the grants were unrestricted.

PII: S0002-9394(06)00350-3

doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2006.02.055

Refers to article:

  • Association of Blood Pressure Status With the Optic Disk Structure , 19 May 2006

    Jost B. Jonas
    American Journal of Ophthalmology July 2006 (Vol. 142, Issue 1, Pages 144-145)

American Journal of Ophthalmology
Volume 142, Issue 1 , Pages 60-67.e1, July 2006

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