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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
07:11
Assessing Early Stage Open-Angle Glaucoma in Patients by Isolated-Check Visual Evoked Potential
Published on: May 25, 2020
Autonomic dysfunction in unselected and untreated primary open angle glaucoma patients: a pilot study
Doina Gherghel1, Sarah Louise Hosking, Richard Armstrong
1School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, UK. d.gherghel@aston.ac.uk
Summary
Newly diagnosed glaucoma patients show abnormal autonomic function, indicated by altered heart rate variability (HRV). This autonomic dysfunction is present even without cardiovascular disease signs, suggesting a link between glaucoma and cardiac health.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology and Cardiology
- Autonomic Nervous System Function
Background:
- Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness.
- Autonomic dysfunction has been implicated in various systemic diseases, but its role in glaucoma is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate silent cardiac ischaemic episodes in untreated POAG patients.
- To assess autonomic function status in newly diagnosed POAG patients.
Main Methods:
- Ambulatory 24-hour blood pressure and electrocardiogram monitoring in 24 POAG patients and 22 controls.
- Analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) frequency domain parameters (LF, HF, LF/HF ratio).
Main Results:
- Glaucoma patients exhibited significantly higher low-frequency (LF) and LF/HF ratio values compared to controls.
- These differences in HRV parameters were observed during both active and passive periods.
- No significant differences in HRV were found between glaucoma patients and controls with silent cardiac ischaemia.
Conclusions:
- Glaucoma patients demonstrate abnormal autonomic function, irrespective of cardiovascular disease history.
- The findings suggest a potential link between POAG and autonomic nervous system dysregulation.
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