Hormone therapy and ophthalmic artery blood flow changes in women with primary open-angle glaucoma.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effects of hormone therapy (HT) on plasma viscosity and Doppler flow parameters in normal, healthy, postmenopausal women and in women with normal-tension and chronic, open-angle glaucoma.

DESIGN

Eight postmenopausal women with glaucoma (group I) and 15 controls (group II) were given HT. The duration of the study was 6 months, and the women were examined in basal condition and at the end of the treatment. All women underwent ultrasonographic evaluation of pelvic organs and color Doppler analysis of uterine, internal carotid, and ophthalmic arteries. Also, plasma viscosity was assayed.

RESULTS

The ultrasonographic analysis showed that none of the women presented with irregular endometrial echoes, polyps, or intracavitary fluid. In addition, endometrial thickness never exceeded the normal range (5 mm). Plasma viscosity and Doppler parameters significantly improved during therapy. However, the ophthalmic artery mean improvements of pulsatility index (-43% v -28%; P = 0.001), peak systolic blood flow velocity (+35% v +24%; P = 0.026), and time-averaged maximum velocity (+44% v +32%; P = 0.031) were significantly more evident in the control group than in the glaucoma group.

CONCLUSIONS

Although, in people with glaucoma, vasospasm can increase the risk of visual loss by inducing a retrobulbar blood flow reduction, HT seems to beneficially affect the ocular vascularization.