blood pressure variability linked to accelerated vision loss

In France, glaucoma affects 1 to 2% of the population over 40 years old and around 10% over 70 years old. This chronic eye disease is characterized by the progressive destruction of the optic nerve under the influence of several factors. More precisely, the nerve endings of the optic nerve are damaged in the retina and the optic nerve gradually loses its fibers. This results in a progressive impairment of the field of vision, i.e. the space that the eye sees is reduced little by little. “Vision disappears on the sides and side of the nose but vision in the center is preserved for a long time. If the lesions progress, central vision disappears, leading to blindness”according to Health Insurance.

Glaucoma: blood pressure and visual field of 985 patients were assessed

In a new study, impaired autoregulation of the vasculature (tissue blood flow) is proposed as another key factor in visual field progression in glaucoma patients. To determine whether vascular changes are linked to the progression of the pathology, scientists from the University of California at San Diego (United States) evaluated 1,674 eyes of 985 people suffering from suspected or confirmed glaucoma. Participants underwent blood pressure and visual field tests from November 2000 to December 2022. “The mean and standard deviation of systolic and diastolic blood pressures were calculated for each participant”the team clarified.

The more variable the blood pressure, the more rapid the loss of peripheral vision

The results, published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmologyshowed that greater blood pressure variability was significantly associated with more rapid loss of peripheral vision, while higher mean blood pressure showed a trend toward association with more rapid loss of visual field . According to the authors, greater blood pressure variability combined with higher mean arterial pressure or intraocular pressure was linked to accelerated changes in the annual mean deviation of mean arterial pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Faced with these data, researchers want to soon determine whether vascular changes are a cause or a consequence of the disease.