CORRELATION OF INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE WITH SYSTEMIC HYPERTENSION

BACKGROUND: Systemic hypertension is one of the key modiable risk factors for the rise in intraocular pressure which leads to glaucoma. This study was undertaken to see the relationship between intraocular pressure and systemic hypertension in adults aged >40yrs, to diagnose ocular hypertension and its consequences at the earliest. AIM:To study the relationship between intraocular pressure and systemic hypertension among adults aged >40 yrs. METHOD: Ahospital-based cross-sectional study was done between February 2021 to November 2021. It included 50 subjects with more than ve years history of systemic hypertension. The subjects having increased central corneal thickness (>560µm), obesity and myopia were excluded from the study. The study subjects underwent routine ophthalmic examination, intraocular pressure was measured with Goldmann's applanation tonometer before pupil dilatation and blood pressure measured by sphygmomanometer after 10 minutes of rest. The variables were analysed using percentages and mean ± standard deviation. RESULTS:Intraocular pressure increases with age up to 60 years, later on intraocular pressure decreases with further increase in age. In subjects aged 40- 60years intraocular pressure increases with systemic blood pressure (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Hypertension was a contributing factor for raised intraocular pressure in subjects aged 40-60yrs. So, routine assessment for raised blood pressure is required for screening glaucoma.