Coexistence of macro- and micro-vascular abnormalities in newly diagnosed normal tension glaucoma patients

Stephanie Mroczkowska, Anikó Ekárt, Velota Sung, Anil Negi, Lu Qin, Suni Patel, Sarita Jacob, Carole Atkins, Alexandra Benavente-Pérez, Doina Gherghel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the coexistence of ocular microvascular and systemic macrovascular abnormalities in early stage, newly diagnosed and previously untreated normal tension glaucoma patients (NTG).
Methods: Retinal vascular reactivity to flickering light was assessed in 19 NTG and 28 age-matched controls by means of dynamic retinal vessel analysis (IMEDOS GmbH, Jena, Germany). Using a newly developed computational model, the entire dynamic vascular response profile to flicker light was imaged and used for analysis. In addition, assessments of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and pulse wave analysis (PWA) were conducted on all participants, along with blood pressure (BP) measurements and blood analyses for lipid metabolism markers.
Results: Patients with NTG demonstrated an increased right and left carotid IMT (p = 0.015, p = 0.045) and an elevated PWA augmentation index (p = 0.017) in comparison with healthy controls, along with an enhanced retinal arterial constriction response (p = 0.028), a steeper retinal arterial constriction slope (p = 0.031) and a reduced retinal venous dilation response (p = 0.026) following flicker light stimulation.
Conclusions: Early stage, newly diagnosed, NTG patients showed signs of subclinical vascular abnormalities at both macro- and micro-vascular levels, highlighting the need to consider multi-level circulation-related pathologies in the development and progression of this type of glaucoma.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberActa-12-01-0065
Pages (from-to)e553-e559
Number of pages7
JournalActa Ophthalmologica Scandinavica
Volume90
Issue number7
Early online date23 Sept 2012
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2012

Keywords

  • glaucoma
  • vascular dysregulation
  • microvessels
  • open-angle
  • microvasculature
  • retina

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