Comparison of normotensive and glaucoma simplex patients according to age and sex

Introduction. According to the level of intraocular pressure (IOP), open angle glaucoma is divided into high tension glaucoma (HTG) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG). Objective. To determine if there are differences in the distribution of patients by age and sex between NTG and HTG. Methods. Our prospective study included 30 patients with NTG and 30 with HTG. A complete eye examination was performed. The examination included measuring of intraocular pressure by Goldmann applanation tonometry, examination of optic disc head by indirect ophthalmoscopy with Volk 90 D lens and visual field examination using the Octopus program. Results. The average damage of visual field in the group of patients with NTG was 8.14±4.43 dB, while in the group with HTG it was 7.40±2.84 dB (p>0.05). The average age of the group of patients with NTG was 66±11.58 years, while among those with HTG the average age was 59.7±11.63 years (p<0.01). Among the patients with NTG there were three times more women than men (χ2=9.124; p<0.01), while in the group of patients with HTG there were more men than women, but without statistically significant difference between the tested groups (χ2=1.851; p>0.05). Conclusion. Open angle glaucoma is a disease of elderly population. According to our results, risk factors for this disease can be age and sex. NTG is more frequently present than HTG among elderly population and females.