Disease mechanisms leading to impaired blood flow in glaucoma

Abstract

Abstract Purpose SIS lecture Methods Literature search Results Although primary open‐angle glaucoma (POAG), is associated more closely with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), other risk factors already implicated in the aetiology of this disease and especially in the aetiology of normal‐tension glaucoma are: abnormal ocular circulation, ocular and systemic vascular dysregulation, as well as systemic blood pressure (BP) alterations. Oxidative stress, which occurs as a result of an imbalance between generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defence mechanisms and is implicated in the pathogenesis of disorders ranging from atherosclerosis to neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes and aging, may also contribute to the general vascular disturbances observed in glaucoma. Moreover, increasing evidence shoes that oxidative stress plays a role in promoting endothelial dysfunction, which is a key factor in progression of vascular diseases. Indeed, glaucomatous optic nerve damage has been related to endothelial damage/dysfunction. This presentation explores the role of various ocular and systemic circulatory factors in the pathogenesis of glaucomatous neuropathy.