The Hemorheological Mechanisms in Normal Tension Glaucoma

Purpose: To investigate the differences in hemorheological parameters between patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and normal controls.Methods: Twenty patients with NTG and 21 age-matched normal controls were included in the study. Hemorheological parameters of the venous blood samples, including blood viscosity at the shear rates of 500, 250, and 5 s−1, and viscoelasticity were measured using a rotational rheometer; erythrocyte deformability and aggregation were measured using a ektacytometer; and erythrocyte rigidity and the oxygen transport efficiency of blood were calculated.Results: Higher blood viscosities at the high (p < 0.01), medium (p < 0.01), and low (p < 0.01) shear rates were found in the NTG group than in the control group. Significantly higher erythrocyte aggregation index (p < 0.01); lower index of erythrocyte deformability at medium (p < 0.01) and high shear rates (p < 0.05); and lower oxygen transport efficiency of blood at low (p < 0.01), medium (p < 0.01), and high shear rates ...