title: Effect of bicycle ergometer test on intraocular pressure in elderly athletes and controls.
abstract: To evaluate the effect of intensive physical exercise on intraocular pressure (IOP) in 66- to 85-year-old subjects IOP was measured before and after a maximal bicycle ergometer test. The non-glaucomatous subjects comprised 85 males and 36 female athletes and 16 male and 22 female controls of corresponding age drawn from a population register. IOP was measured using a non-contact tonometer. The results indicated a decrease (> or = 2 mmHg) in 34% of the subjects, no change in 57% and an increase in 9%. The decrease was more pronounced in subjects with higher pre-test values. In all four subjects with a pre-test value above 22 mmHg a reduction from 4 to 11 mmHg was observed. The change in IOP during physical loading was not significantly associated with the intensity and duration of exercise test. Three of the 5 male subjects with diagnosed glaucoma and undergoing hypotensive medication, who were analyzed separately, also showed a reduction in IOP during loading. In the pre- or post-test values there were no differences between the athletes and controls, while women tended to have higher IOP values than men. It is concluded that physical loading has predominantly a moderating effect, if any, on IOP in elderly men and women.
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Research Center, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Era
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pärssinen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kallinen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suominen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D013177:Sports