1Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru -560002
2Professor, Department of Physiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru -560002
3Professor and HOD, Department of Physiology, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Institute, Whitefield, Bengaluru
4Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Institute, Whitefield, Bengaluru
*Correspondence: Dr. Sushma S, Email: suvina76@gmail.com, Ph no: 9916915194
Online published on 21 February, 2015.
This study was taken up to evaluate the effects of increased blood pressure and duration of menopause as a risk factor to ocular hypertension in menopausal hypertensive Indian women. Mean intraocular pressure in postmenopausal women is higher than in premenopausal and is positively correlated with increase in blood pressure.
Ocular hypertension is the intraocular pressure more than 21 mmHg in atleast one eye, having normal visual fields and normal optic nerve head “,which may progress to glaucoma with significant visual morbidity if not screened”.
To study the effects of elevated blood pressure on IOP in menopausal women.
To study the risk of increased blood pressure and the duration of menopause on Ocular Hypertension
A clinical comparative case-control study was conducted in postmenopausal women (45–55 yrs) with 40 hypertensives (cases) and 40 normotensives (control). who gave written informed consent. They were selected as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. The intra ocular pressure (IOP) was recorded by caliberated Schiott Indentation Tonometer in the morning hours. Blood pressure was recorded by Sphygmomanometer in supine position
The mean Intraocular pressure in normotensive menopausal women was 16.16 ±2.19 mmHg and in hypertensive subgroup it was 18.63± 2.88 mmHg (student ‘t’ test, p=0.001)
Among the 80 postmenopausal women, 17 had an IOP > 21 mmHg (ocular hypertension) of which 16 belonged to the hypertensive and one to normotensive groups. (z test, p<0.05)
Of the 16 ocular hypertensives, 7 had a history of duration of menopause greater than 4 yrs.
This study showed that postmenopausal hypertensive women are at a higher risk of developing Ocular Hypertension and thus signifies the need for regular screening for an elevated IOP.
Ocular hypertension, Intraocular pressure, Menopause
