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Updated: May 24, 2026

Translaminar Autonomous System Model for the Modulation of Intraocular and Intracranial Pressure in Human Donor Posterior Segments
Published on: April 24, 2020
Low diastolic blood pressure is associated with the progression of normal-tension glaucoma
Yoshihiko Okumura1, Kenya Yuki, Kazuo Tsubota
1Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Aims:
The objective of this study was to investigate the association between blood pressure (BP) and visual field defect progression in normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).
Methods:
The subjects were 35 consecutive patients with NTG who were admitted to Keio University Hospital for 24-hour intraocular pressure evaluation; all subjects underwent 6 or more visual field tests in either eye and were followed up for more than 5 years. Systolic and diastolic BPs were measured at 9.00 h. Subjects with negative regression lines and p values of less than 0.05 were classified as progressive; all others were defined as stable. Systolic BP, diastolic BP, and ocular perfusion pressure were compared between the 2 groups.
Results:
Twelve subjects showed progression in glaucomatous visual field defects (age 55.1 ± 15.1 years). Twenty-three subjects showed no progression (age 57.2 ± 10.9 years). Diastolic BP (stable group: 77.0 ± 12.1 mm Hg; progressive group: 67.7 ± 9.7 mm Hg; p = 0.03) was significantly lower in the progressive group than in the stable group. Multivariable analysis revealed that low diastolic BP is a significant risk factor for progression (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.82-0.99).
Conclusions:
Low diastolic BP was associated with glaucomatous visual field progression in subjects with NTG.
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