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Intraocular pressure is influenced by ambient temperature in glaucoma patients
Author(s) -
Krebs Johann Ferdinand,
Hosari Sami,
Lämmer Robert,
Mardin Christian,
Hohberger Bettina
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2019.5200
Subject(s) - glaucoma , intraocular pressure , medicine , ophthalmology
Glaucoma is known as multifactorial neurodegenerative disease with intraocular pressure (IOP) as main risk factor. Recent experimental studies showed an impact of corneal temperature on aqueous humour (AH) flow, thus potentially influencing IOP. 1 Additionally, temperature was seen to influence fluidity of AH by changing its viscosity. 2 As bench to bedside research, the aim of the present study was investigate a potential influence of ambient temperature on IOP in glaucoma patients. Methods Sixty‐four eyes of 64 glaucoma patients (34 male, 30 female) of the Erlangen Glaucoma Registry (NCT00494923; ISSN 2191‐5008, CS‐2011) were included between 11/17 and 08/18. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination including Goldmann applanation tonometry (at 12.00 a.m). Daily local temperature (DT) was recorded. Subgroup analysis was done for a winter group (11/17–03/18; mean age: 63.6±12 years; 17 male, 15 female; mean defect 4.93±5.35 dB) and a summer group (04/2018–08/2018; mean age: 70.2±9.9 years; 17 male, 15 female; mean defect 4.68±5.08 dB). Results (I) Total IOP of all eyes was 13.61±3.8 mmHg. Subgroup analysis yielded a mean IOP of 14.3±3.6 mmHg in the winter group and 11.7±2.7 mmHg in the summer group. (II) Local DT was 13.96±11.1°C (‐6.8 ‐ +32.9°C) during the year. Winter local DT was measured as 3.28±4.8°C (11/17‐03/18). Summer local DT showed a mean of 24.11±3.7°C (04/18 ‐ 08/18). (III) Mean IOP was observed to be significantly higher in patients of the winter group compared to the summer group (p < 0.001). Discussion Experimental ex‐vivo studies suggested that cooler ambient temperatures ‘cools’ AH via corneal surface, decreasing AH fluidity. Thus, AH circulation is lowered with consecutive increase of IOP. Data of the present clinical study bridge these experimental findings, offering ambient temperature as novel influencing factor on IOP in glaucoma patients. References Colligris P, Perez de Lara MJ, Colligris B, Pintor J. Ocular Manifestations of Alzheimer’s and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases: The Prospect of the Eye as a Tool for the Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of ophthalmology 2018;2018:8538573. Boussommier‐Calleja A, Li G, Wilson A, et al. Physical Factors Affecting Outflow Facility Measurements in Mice. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 2015;56:8331‐8339.