The role of ocular blood flow in OAG

Ocular blood flow alterations and previous visual field damage may play an important role in visual field progression in open angle glaucoma (OAG), according to Antonio Martinez and colleagues from the Instituto Gallego de Oftalmologia, Spain.

All OAG patients recruited or referred to one centre between January and July 2001 were examined. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate visual field progression and variables considered to be possible risk factors were evaluated using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.

A total of 40 patients were evaluated during the trial period. Mean time to progression was 37.88 months, 95% confidence interval 33.10-42.65. Sixteen patients (40%) showed visual field progression. Significant risk factors included pattern standard deviation, end-diastolic velocity in the ophthalmic artery and resistance index in the ophthalmic artery.

The results suggest that ocular blood flow alterations may play a central role in the visual field progression in OAG patients.