A retrospective study of 7,501 eyes has shown that lower blood pressure is associated with faster rates of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) loss.

Researchers, led by Dr Alessandro Jammal from the Vision, Imaging and Performance Laboratory at Duke University in the US, measured mean arterial pressure (MAP), systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) in nearly 4,000 patients with, or suspected of having, glaucoma. When adjusted for mean intraocular pressures (IOP), lower mean MAP and DAP were associated with more rapid RNFL loss, suggesting levels of systemic blood pressure may be a significant factor in glaucoma progression, they reported.