New research shows that elevated blood pressure can make
eyes more susceptible to damage from increased intraocular pressure,increasing
the risk of developing glaucoma. Although previous research has shown quite
the opposite.
Scientists from the University of Melbourne examined how vulnerable
it was the eye on increased intraocular pressure in 3 different
mice groups. At temporarily high pressure (acute hypertension), at elevated pressure
for 4 weeks (chronic hypertension) and at normal pressure.
Initially, hypertension was shown to protect the retina from changes
in blood flow in the group with acute hypertension, but this ability
was lost after a few weeks. This means that having increased
pressure for longer disrupted the eye’s ability to
withstand high pressure. It altered the ocular blood vessels in such a way
who could not react to changes in blood flow when
the pressure was increasing.
The research was published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS)