Platelet aggregation and glaucoma.

In this study platelet aggregation was determined in 79 patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and 81 patients suspected of having glaucoma (ocular hypertension). There is a positive association between high age and the presence of vascular diseases (p less than 0.01). An age dependent association between spontaneous platelet aggregation (SPA) and the presence of POAG was also observed (p less than 0.05). This indicates that the incidence of SPA in the elder group of patients with POAG is higher than in the elder glaucoma suspect group and in the group of younger patients. The association between vascular diseases and SPA and between vascular diseases and the presence of POAG were not significant at the 5% level. The incidence of SPA is not influenced by sex distribution, by the presence of diabetes, smoking or the use of timolol maleate topically.