Systemic Vascular and Cardiac Associations of Ocular Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) is an age-related disorder characterized by the accumulation of abnormal fibrillar extracellular material in ocular tissues. Increasing evidence suggests that PEX may have systemic vascular and cardiovascular associations.

Aim: To compare blood pressure, blood glucose, serum cholesterol, electrocardiographic abnormalities, echocardiographic findings, and systemic comorbidities among patients with and without pseudoexfoliation syndrome.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study included 110 participants aged >40 years, comprising 55 patients with PEX and 55 without PEX. Blood glucose was classified according to American Diabetes Association criteria, serum total cholesterol according to the cholesterol categories specified in the study protocol, and blood pressure according to JNC 7. Cardiac morbidity was assessed using ECG and echocardiography. Categorical variables were compared using the chi-square test, with P<0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: Mean systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in the PEX group than in the non-PEX group (138.73±14.32 vs 122.55±11.55 mmHg; P<0.0001), as was mean diastolic blood pressure (85.45±9.60 vs 73.64±8.95 mmHg; P<0.0001). ECG abnormalities were present in 60.0% of PEX patients compared with 7.3% of controls (P<0.0001). Echocardiographic abnormalities were also more frequent in the PEX group. No significant association was observed with blood glucose (P=0.126) or serum cholesterol (P=0.097). Hypertension and coronary artery disease were more frequent among patients with PEX.

Conclusion: PEX was associated with higher blood pressure and a greater frequency of ECG and echocardiographic abnormalities in this study. Further prospective studies are required to clarify the clinical significance of these associations.