title: Retinal structural changes in systemic arterial hypertension: an OCT study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC), and macular thickness changes in young adults with systemic arterial hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 80 young patients (age 23.8 ± 2.8 years) with systemic hypertension (sHT) without any known systemic or ocular disease and 80 age-matched (23.5 ± 2.1 years) healthy controls. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, macular thickness, and GCC thickness were measured with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean disease duration was 3.45 ± 1.48 years (range 2-10). Differences in intraocular pressure, body mass index, axial length, and spherical equivalent between the groups were insignificant (p&gt;0.05). The differences in RNFL thickness did not differ between the groups. Patients with sHT had significantly lower central macular thickness (p = 0.037), inner superior macular thickness (p = 0.045), and outer temporal superior and outer temporal inferior GCC (p&lt;0.001 for both). The RNFL thickness did not differ significantly in all quadrants between the groups (p&gt;0.05). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly correlated with inner temporal superior and inner temporal inferior GCC thickness in a negative manner (p&lt;0.05 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ganglion cell complex thickness decrease is possibly a better retinal marker for hypertensive changes with respect to RNFL and macular thickness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Izmir Military Hospital, Izmir - Turkey.
authors.forename: Fahrettin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akay
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, GATA Medical School, Ankara - Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Gündoğan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara Mevki Military Hospital, Ankara - Turkey.
authors.forename: Umit
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yolcu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Izmir Military Hospital, Izmir - Turkey.
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toyran
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Izmir Military Hospital, Izmir - Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tunç
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Etimesgut Military Hospital, Ankara - Turkey.
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uzun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult