Choroidal blood flow and arterial blood pressure

Purpose Untreated hypertension is associated with ocular complications and is a risk factor for the development and progression of vascular ocular pathologies. We set out to investigate the association between systemic blood pressure and choroidal blood flow. Methods All subjects were male non-smokers, who did not receive any medication and had normal or slightly elevated blood pressure (systolic blood pressure ≤ 160 mmHg; diastolic blood pressure ≤ 100 mmHg). The association between systemic blood pressure and fundus pulsation amplitude, a measure of pulsatile choroidal blood flow, was investigated in 318 volunteers. In addition, the association between systemic blood pressure and blood flow velocities in the posterior ciliary arteries supplying the choroid was investigated in these subjects. Results Ocular fundus pulsation amplitude (r=0.252; P<0.001) and mean flow velocity in the posterior ciliary arteries (r = 0.346, P<0.001) were significantly associated with mean arterial pressure. The correlation of ocular haemodynamic variables with systolic and diastolic blood pressure was in the same range. Conclusions Our data indicate a small, but significant increase in choroidal blood flow with increasing blood pressure.