Short-term variability of systemic blood pressure and submacular choroidal blood flow in eyes of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma

To analyse short-term variability of systemic blood pressure and choroidal blood flow in glaucoma patients, and compare them with ocular hypertensive patients and controls. Thirty untreated patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), 25 untreated patients with ocular hypertension (OHT) and 50 healthy controls without local therapy were included in the study. Continuous 5-minute measurements of arterial systemic blood pressure (SBP) by Finometer and choroidal blood flow (CBF) by laser Doppler flowmetry were obtained. Variability of SBP and CBF was analysed by means of coefficient of variation and analyzed in ANOVA model. Linear regression analysis was performed on parameters of morphological (nerve fiber layer thickness) and functional glaucomatous damage (visual field) on one side, and between SBP and CBF on the other side. ANOVA model demonstrated significant differences in variability between the groups (p = 0.003); post-hoc analysis specified a significantly higher short-term variability of both the blood pressure and choroidal blood flow in POAG patients (coefficients of variation: 3.33% +/- 1.05% and 3.90% +/- 2.17% respectively) than in healthy controls (coefficient of variation: 2.57% +/- 0.80% and 2.94% +/- 1.52% respectively). No significant differences were found for OHT patients. POAG patients without local therapy demonstrate an increased short-term BP and CBF variability.