Oscillatory Potentials of the Electroretinogram in Hypertensive Patients

Abstract Because alteration of oscillatory potentials of the electroretinogram has been described in diabetic patients without signs of diabetic retinopathy as an early marker of changes in microcirculation, we studied the behavior of these potentials in patients with early-onset hypertension. Electroretinograms were recorded in 24 subjects with essential hypertension (blood pressure >140/90 mm Hg) and in 9 age-matched normotensive control subjects (blood pressure t test for paired and unpaired data and linear regression. The oscillatory index was significantly reduced in hypertensive patients compared with normotensive subjects. An inverse relationship was observed when systolic and diastolic blood pressures were plotted against the oscillatory index. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that the electrical activity of the retina is altered early in the course of hypertension and that the influence of systolic pressure on the oscillatory index is greater than that of diastolic pressure.