In Brief | Ophthalmology | Glaucoma
 

Blood flow in the optic nerve head in patients with primary aldosteronism

Original Published In PLoS One:  26 April 2023. This summary does not represent the original research, nor is it intended to replace the original research. Content Disclaimer

Recent studies have investigated the contribution of the hormone aldosterone to the development of ocular diseases like diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and central serous chorioretinopathy. The dramatic increase in serum aldosterone found in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) - the most common form of secondary hypertension - places these patients at increased risk for vision loss.
 
The researchers of this 2023 paper wanted to compare blood flow in the optic nerve head (ONH) of patients with primary aldosteronism to those without PA.
 

• The single-centre, retrospective, cross-section study evaluated twenty-nine eyes from 17 PA patients and 61 eyes from 61 patients without PA.
• Laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) was used to evaluate the ONH tissue mean blur rate (MT)
• Mixed-effects models were used to compare the MT between PA patients and normal subjects and to analyse the risk factors affecting the MT. Adjustments were made for mean arterial pressure, disc area, and β-peripapillary atrophy (β-PPA) area.

 
The researchers found that MT was significantly lower in PA patients (10.8 ± 0.4) than in non-PA patients (12.3 ± 0.3) (P = 0.004), even after adjusting for potentially confounding factors.
 
The study had several limitations; most notably, it did not allow for the possible presence of ant-hypertensive agents such as calcium channel blockers that may have been present in the patients before commencing the study. The relatively small sample was also noted as a limitation. The initial research's findings warrant further investigation on a large scale to draw definitive conclusions.
 

Access the original article 
Hirooka, K., Oki, K., Ogawa-Ochiai, K., Nakaniida, Y., Onoe, H., & Kiuchi, Y. (2023). Blood flow in the optic nerve head in patients with primary aldosteronism. PloS one, 18(4), e0285039. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285039

Back to top

Disclaimer
This article is compiled from a variety of resources researched and compiled by the contributor. It is in no way presented as an original work.  Every effort has been made to correctly attribute quotes and content. Where possible all information has been independently verified. The Medical Education Network bears no responsibility for any inaccuracies which may occur from the use of third-party sources. If you have any queries regarding this article contact us 

Fact-checking Policy
The Medical Education Network makes every effort to review and fact-check the articles used as source material in our summaries and original material. We have strict guidelines in relation to the publications we use as our source data, favouring peer-reviewed research wherever possible. Every effort is made to ensure that the information contained here is an accurate reflection of the original material. Should you find inaccuracies, out of date content or have any additional issues with our articles, please make use of the contact us form to notify us.