A US study analysing contact lens sensors recording ocular dimensional changes in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) confirms nocturnal intraocular pressure (IOP) variability is associated with faster visual field (VF) loss.
Current IOP assessment is typically performed as a single measurement using Goldmann applanation tonometry during a clinic visit , potentially missing valuable information for glaucoma management, said co-author Dr Zhiyong Yang from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine.
The retrospective, observational cohort study included 32 POAG patients (mean age 69.8 years; mean IOP 17.8 mmHg; mean follow-up time 9.9 years). Its aim was to clarify if recording changes in IOP-related ocular dimensions correlated with the rate of VF progression and confirm previous study associations. The 24-hour contact lens sensor recordings showed each 10-unit larger nocturnal variability of IOP-related ocular dimensional changes was significantly associated with faster VF loss (-0.25±0.11dB) in POAG patients (P = 0.035), showing the contact lenses could be a valuable tool to assess risk progression.
The study was published in the Journal of Glaucoma.