Changes in Eye Pressure and Anterior Chamber Depth With Oral Endothelin Antagonist Therapy

There is growing evidence that a cause of glaucoma is linked to circulatory problems and poor auto-regulation of blood flow to the optic nerve. Pulmonary hypertension (PH)is a disease characterized by low oxygen levels in the blood and altered blood circulation. The decrease in oxygen delivery to the optic nerve could lead to the loss of nerve fiber layer(NFL)in the retina and the resulting visual field compromise. This situation is characteristic of glaucoma. The ability to identify NFL thinning early could lead to earlier diagnosis of glaucoma and more effective treatment to limit dysfunction from visual field loss.

We hypothesize that the rate of structural damage to the NFL, a feature of glaucoma, is higher in patients with PH than expected in healthy populations lacking this disease.