Association of high myopia with peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer in patients with hypertension.

Purpose: To identify the impacts of hypertension (HTN), high myopia, and the combination thereof on peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness.

Methods: All subjects were divided into four groups: control (group 1); patients with HTN without high myopia (group 2); patients with high myopia without HTN (group 3); and patients with both HTN and high myopia (group 4). The pRNFL thicknesses were compared using a one-way analysis of variance. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to identify factors affecting pRNFL thickness in subjects with and without HTN.

Results: The mean pRNFL thicknesses were 93.9±8.8, 88.7±6.8, 86.4±8.1, and 82.5±9.6 μm in group 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, and differed significantly (P<0.001). On multivariate linear regression analyses, age (β = -0.181, P = 0.044), axial length (β = -1.491, P<0.001), and HTN (β = -4.876, P = 0.044) significantly affected pRNFL thickness. Additionally, age and axial length affected the pRNFL thickness in subjects with HTN (age, β = -0.254, P = 0.020; axial length, β = -1.608, P<0.001) much more than in subjects without HTN (age, β = -0.028, P = 0.712; axial length, β = -1.324, P<0.001).

Conclusions: High myopia and HTN affected pRNFL reduction and a combination of the 2 diseases exacerbated pRNFL damage. This could be a confounding factor in interpreting pRNFL thickness in patients with ophthalmic diseases affecting the pRNFL thickness when combined with the 2 diseases.