High pulse pressure linked to OAG

High-tension open angle glaucoma (htOAG) is associated with high pulse pressure, increased carotid arterial stiffness and, in people treated for systemic hypertension, low diastolic perfusion pressure, according to a report published in the June issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

Caroline Hulsman and colleagues from The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience conducted a study to investigate cross-sectional associations among blood pressures (BPs), arterial stiffness and open angle glaucoma (OAG). Participants were recruited from the population-based Rotterdam Study. Subjects were classified as either htOAG or normal tension OAG (ntOAG), according to an intraocular pressure (IOP) of greater than, or less than 21 mmHg. Pulse pressure was defined as the difference between systolic and diastolic BP, while diastolic perfusion pressure was defined as the difference between diastolic BP and IOP.

A total of 5,317 subjects were included in the study. In subjects with higher pulse pressure, the prevalence of htOAG was elevated. In those who were treated for systemic hypertension, low diastolic perfusion pressure (<50 mmHg) was inversely associated with ntOAG and positively associated with htOAG.

It was concluded that htOAG is particularly associated with high pulse pressure.