Effect of exercise on the intraocular pressure of Hong Kong‐Chinese

Abstract

The effect of exercise on the intraocular pressure (IOP) of two groups of Hong Kong (HK)-Chinese was studied. Twenty-three HK-Chinese in two age groups had IOP measured before and after mild exercise (stepping up and down on a step 228 mm in height for three minutes). The young group was aged 29 years (range 24 to 33 years) and the elderly group was aged 57 years (range 50 to 64 years). The mean (± standard deviation) IOP was 11.1 ± 2.2 mmHg for the young group and 11.2 ± 3.4 mmHg for the elderly group. There was no significant difference in the mean IOP between the two groups. There was a significant decrease in IOP after the exercise. The exercise produced an immediate decrease in mean IOP of 2.2 mmHg and 1.6 mmHg in the young and elderly groups, respectively. The mean IOP returned to the pre-exercise level 40 minutes after exercise for the young group and 30 minutes after exercise for the elderly group. (Clin Exp Optom 1995; 78: 3: 83–86)