title: Influence of ocular tropicamide on exercise testing.
abstract: This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of tropicamide 0.5% eye drops on cardiovascular parameters during exercise testing. The study group included 154 healthy subjects (mean age: 44.7 +/- 8 years). The subjects were divided into three groups according to the size of the pupils at the onset of exercise: A: pupils not dilated (n = 27), B: pupils partially dilated (n = 90) and C: pupils widely dilated (n = 37). They were compared to 66 healthy controls (age 43.8 +/- 8) who did not receive the drops. Rest and exercise parameters were affected in groups A and B, while the results of group C resembled those of the controls: (a) resting heart rate -66.7, 66.6, 70.9 and 69.3, respectively (p = 0.03); (b) heart rate at 50 and 100 W - 104, 107, 110 and 111 (p = 0.01) and 131, 131, 137, 139, respectively (p = 0.01); and (c) peak systolic blood pressure - 192, 186, 183, 175; respectively (p = 0.004). Reanalyzing the data by scoring of visual impairment gave identical results. As a whole, the study group achieved higher work loads than the controls (126 vs. 119 W; p = 0.03). We conclude that the instillation of ocular tropicamide has definite effects on cardiovascular parameters, both at rest and during exercise. Mainly, patients showed a lower heart rate at the initial levels of exercise. However, at symptom-limited level, tropicamide does not influence a patient's ability to achieve the target heart rate, and stress testing results are not altered by the drug.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine T, Ichilov Hospital, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pines
authors.forename: E Z
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Fisman
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Drory
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Averbuch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ben-Ari
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gelernter
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Levo
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kellermann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012025:Reflex, Pupillary / Q000187:drug effects; D014331:Tropicamide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D014331:Tropicamide