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Abstract

Abstract


This study evaluated the distribution of Intraocular pressure (lOP) levels in 67 normal and 59 ocular hypertensive (OHT) subjects during the day after placing control on all those factors that can affect lOP. The lOP was measured with the Goldmann applanation tonometer. All the subjects were examined according to standard protocols. Both in the normal and OHT subjects, the peak of mean lOP appeared in the morning when the subjects woke up and the trough of mean IOP occurred between 2 a,m. to 4a.m. The mean diurnal variation ware (meanjsem) 2,9±0 .7 and 3.5±0.7 mmHg in the normal and in OHT subjects, respectively. Ninety-four percent of the normal subjects and sixty-eight percent of the OHT subjects exhibited a similar diurnal behaviour in both eyes. The lOP variation did not correlate with the variations of blood pressure. The diurnal variation of IOP,found in Chinese,islowerthan in othernations. The clinical importance of findings that the peaks of lOP occur in the early morning, raised a serious question as to the necessity of extending the diurnal lOP curves beyond the usual working time