title: The effect of lateral decubitus position on intraocular pressure in healthy young subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of change of body posture from supine to lateral decubitus position (LDP) on intraocular pressure (IOP) in healthy young subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 38 eyes of 19 healthy young Korean subjects. IOP was measured using Tonopen XL in both eyes in the sitting and supine position, 5 and 30 min after right LDP and 5 min after returning to the supine position. A week later, IOP was measured in the same sequence except that the subjects assumed the left LDP. The eye on the lower side in the LDP was termed as a dependent eye.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean IOP of the dependent eyes increased significantly at 5 min after changing from supine to right (16.26 ± 2.73 mmHg versus 18.54 ± 2.95 mmHg, p < 0.01) or left LDP (15.53 ± 2.41 mmHg versus 17.53 ± 3.37 mmHg, p < 0.01); this IOP increase in the dependent eyes persisted at 30 min after changing to right (18.47 ± 2.97 mmHg, p < 0.01) or left LDP (17.79 ± 2.20 mmHg, p < 0.01). Upon returning to the supine position, IOP of the dependent eyes decreased significantly (16.83 ± 2.67 mmHg, p < 0.01 for right LDP and 16.47 ± 2.32 mmHg, p < 0.01 for left). However, this effect of the positional change was not found in the non-dependent eyes (all, p > 0.05). Mean IOP in the dependent eye was significantly higher than that in the non-dependent eye at 30 min after changing to the right (+0.89 ± 1.52 mmHg) or left LDP (+1.84 ± 2.03 mmHg).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The postural change from supine to LDP significantly increased IOP of the dependent eyes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Gachon University Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chungkwon
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Jae Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Young Hoon
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Yong Yeon
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular