Issue: Vojnosanit Pregl 2017; Vol. 74 (No. 1)

The importance of developing atherosclerosis in pseudoexfoliation glaucoma

Authors:
Katarina Janićijević, Sanja Kocić, Sladjana Pajović, Nemanja Zdravković, Tatjana Šarenac Vulović, Mirjana Janićijević Petrović

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Background/Aim. Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (XPS) is an age-related systemic disorder characterized by increased production and accumulation of elastic microfibrillar mate-rial in different tissues of the body: skin, connective tissue portions of visceral organs, periphery blood vessels and the eye, as well. The aim of our study was to determine the sig-nificance of atherosclerotic changes in the carotid arteries in the development of XFS and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (XFG). Methods. The study included 120 patients – 40 pa-tients per each of the three defined groups: XFS group, XFG group and age- and sex-matched control subjects (control group) without XFG. Blood samples were collected from the patients before cataract surgery. Serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein – LDL, high den-sity lipoprotein – HDL and triglycerides were analyzed by standard laboratory techniques. Standard ultrasonography of the carotid blood vessels was performed in all the par-ticipants. Results. Lipid’s profile was disturbed in the pa-tients with XFS and XFG with statistical significance p con-trol group (p < 0.01). Systolic and diastolic pressure was ele-vated in the patients with XFS and XFG (p < 0.01). Resis-tance index was increased in the patients with XFG (p < 0.01). Intima-media thickness was prolonged in patients with XFG (p < 0.01). Conclusion. A disturbed lipid profile with elevated resistancy index and intima-media thickness and increased systolic and diastolic pressure were compul-sory findings in patients with developed XFG. So, these fac-tors could be considered as risk. It seems to be difficult to inhibit the process of pseudoexfolation production in the whole body, but it appears that with proper therapy (antihypertnesive, cardiotoncs, etc.) and adequate nourishing, the process of XFG development could be interrupted