title: Hormone therapy and ophthalmic artery blood flow changes in women with primary open-angle glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effects of hormone therapy (HT) on plasma viscosity and Doppler flow parameters in normal, healthy, postmenopausal women and in women with normal-tension and chronic, open-angle glaucoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight postmenopausal women with glaucoma (group I) and 15 controls (group II) were given HT. The duration of the study was 6 months, and the women were examined in basal condition and at the end of the treatment. All women underwent ultrasonographic evaluation of pelvic organs and color Doppler analysis of uterine, internal carotid, and ophthalmic arteries. Also, plasma viscosity was assayed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ultrasonographic analysis showed that none of the women presented with irregular endometrial echoes, polyps, or intracavitary fluid. In addition, endometrial thickness never exceeded the normal range (5 mm). Plasma viscosity and Doppler parameters significantly improved during therapy. However, the ophthalmic artery mean improvements of pulsatility index (-43% v -28%; P = 0.001), peak systolic blood flow velocity (+35% v +24%; P = 0.026), and time-averaged maximum velocity (+44% v +32%; P = 0.031) were significantly more evident in the control group than in the glaucoma group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although, in people with glaucoma, vasospasm can increase the risk of visual loss by inducing a retrobulbar blood flow reduction, HT seems to beneficially affect the ocular vascularization.
authors.affiliation: III Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. battaglia@med.unibo.it
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: Fulvia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Regnani
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Persico
authors.forename: Annibale
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Aloysio
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D004958:Estradiol; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate