The acute and late effects of cigarette smoking on ocular hemodynamics

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the acute and late effects of cigarette smoking on ocular hemodynamics.

Participants and methods: Seventy healthy participants who smoked less than 5 cigarettes a day were assessed. The ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, and short posterior ciliary artery were examined by color flow Doppler imaging before smoking, immediately after smoking 1 cigarette, and 1 hour later. Peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity and average velocity were measured and the resistivity and pulsatility indices were calculated. In addition, intraocular pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and pulse rate were determined at each time point and mean blood pressure and ocular perfusion pressure were calculated.

Results: Values for systolic and mean blood pressure, pulse rate, and perfusion pressure were significantly higher inunediately after smoking than before smoking or l hour after smoking. No sign ificant smoking­ induced changes were noted for intraocular pressure or diastolic blood pressure. In the ophthalmic artery, val­ues for peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, av­erage velocity, and pulsatility index were significantly higher immediately after smoking than before or 1 hour after smoking. However, for the short posterior ciliary artery, a corresponding elevation of peak systolic velocity was the only significant change observed. No statistically significant smoking-induced changes in blood flow parameters were detected in the central retinal artery.

Conclusion: This study has shown that cigarette smok­ing causes acute hemodynamic changes in the ophthalmic artery and, to a lesser extent, in the short posterior cili­ary artery and the central retinal artery.