Blood pressure was monitored for 24 h in 32 control patients, 38 open-angle glaucoma patients referred because of decompensated IOP despite maximum treatment, 40 patients with open-angle glaucoma referred because of progressive damage despite controlled IOP, and 39 normal-tension glaucoma patients. In the control group a physiological drop in blood pressure during the night was observed. The patients referred with uncontrolled IOP had blood pressure very similar to that of the control group during both day and night. However, the open-angle glaucoma patients with progression despite well-controlled IOP and also the patients with normal-tension glaucoma had markedly, and statistically significantly, lower systolic blood pressure during both day and night. The difference in diastolic blood pressure was smaller. Thus, blood pressure should be considered in diagnosis.
In order to evaluate whether plasma levels of the potent vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 (ET-1) are increased in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and whether these patients exhibit an ET-1-mediated vascular dysregulation, ET-1 plasma levels were measured in 30 patients with MS. Blood flow velocities in the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, central retinal vein, short lateral posterior ciliary artery, and short medial posterior ciliary artery were assessed in parallel. ET-1 plasma levels were significantly increased in MS patients when compared to sex- and age-matched healthy controls (2.0 ± 0.4 pg/ml, range 1.1–2.8 vs. 1.5 ± 0.2 pg/ml, range 0.9–2.0; p < 0.001). Moreover, the patients exhibited significant alterations of extraocular blood flow. The role of ET-1 in the inflammatory process remains to be clarified.
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