title: Single intraocular pressure measurements and diurnal intraocular pressure profiles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the probability of a single intraocular pressure measurement to be the highest measurement within a diurnal intraocular pressure profile.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital-based clinical, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 3,025 day-and-night intraocular pressure profiles measured on 1,072 eyes of 547 Caucasian glaucoma patients or glaucoma suspects. Applanation tonometry was performed at 7 am, noon, 5 pm, 9 pm, and midnight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intraocular pressure measurements were highest at 7 am, noon, 5 pm, 9 pm, and midnight, respectively, in 20.4%, 17.8%, 21.3% 13.9%, and 26.7% of the profiles, respectively. The measurement taken at 7 am was significantly (P < .001) closest to the maximal value of the profile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Any single intraocular pressure measurement taken between 7 am and 9 pm has a higher than 75% chance to miss the highest point of a diurnal curve. Intraocular pressure may be measured at different times of the day to have the best chance of observing the maximal value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Clinical Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167 Mannheim, Germany. Jost.Jonas@augen.ma.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Jost B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.forename: Wido
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Budde
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stroux
authors.forename: Isabel M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Oberacher-Velten
authors.forename: Anselm
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jünemann
mesh_terms: D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular