News - Hypertension Week of April 13, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 15

Studies Link Hypertension and Eye Problems

Two new studies reported in the April issue of the journal Opthalmology link hypertension to eye problems in older people and suggest that those having trouble with their eyes should have a cardiovascular examination to prevent a stroke.

"These studies allow us to identify patients who are at higher risk for vascular diseases affecting the coronary, carotid, and cerebrovascular arteries," said Dr. Paul Sternberg, Jr., of the American Academy of Opthalmology.

He the studies show that the eyes are a "window" to blood vessel abnormalities.

One of the studies, led by Dr. Tien Yin Wong, a visiting assistant professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, found that retinal abnormalities are related to high blood pressure.

"These changes may be markers for blood and small-vessel diseases of the brain, and have been shown to predict stroke independently of standard risk factors," said Wong. "Thus, patients with these changes may benefit from a full cardiovascular assessment."

The other study found that higher high pulse pressure, the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure, can lead to the development and progression of macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration is a common cause of vision loss among people over the age of 60. Although people rarely go blind from the disease, it can impede reading, driving and other daily activities. The macula is in the center of the retina, where millions of cells change light into nerve signals that tell people's brain what they are seeing.

Study author Dr. Ronald Klein, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said further studies are necessary to determine whether the tight control of blood pressure will reduce the incidence of this form of retinal disease.

Other sources: American Academy of Opthalmology