Decreased Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter (HRF) parameter "flow" at the papilla shortly after smoking a cigarette.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of smoking a cigarette on the Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter (HRF) parameter "Flow" at the papilla of healthy young volunteers.


METHODS
Three HRF measurements were taken over the papilla (20 x 5, 256 x 64 pixels) in fourteen occasional smokers and in 14 non-smokers. Ten minutes later three similar HRF measurements were again made. In between the two series of measurements occasional smokers were asked to smoke a cigarette (Marlboro, nicotine content 9 mg) and non-smokers not.


RESULTS
In occasional smokers, the values (arbitrary units) of the HRF parameter "Flow", calculated at the papilla (50 x 50 pixels), significantly (P = 0.01) decreased (11.2 +/- 3.5%) after smoking a cigarette. In contrast, in non-smokers, the values of the HRF parameter "Flow" did not decrease significantly (2.9 +/- 2.2%) when measurements were repeated 10 minutes later.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study suggest that smoking a cigarette can affect the HRF-parameter "Flow" at the papilla. The clinical implication of such an observation needs further investigations.
Lietz-Partzsch
A
A
Laboratory of Ocular Pharmacology and Physiology, University Eye Clinic Basel, Mittlere Strasse 91, PO Box, CH-4012 Basel.
Griesser
S M
SM
Flammer
J
J
Haefliger
I O
IO
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000098:blood supply*; D012016:Reference Values; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000503:physiopathology