Higher Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus Among Patient with Nonarteritic Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

Abstract

Background: The association of diabetes mellitus, nighttime blood pressure dipping and nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy is inconclusive. There has been no study to test this association among Arab Patients. Objectives: This study aims to test the association between diabetes mellitus, nighttime blood pressure dipping and nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy among cohort of patients from Basrah, Southern Iraq. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on patients with nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy conducted at the ophthalmology clinic at Faiha Teaching Hospital in 2018. Patients with nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy were screened for diabetes mellitus. Ambulatory blood pressure monitor was attached to some of the participants for 24 hours. Nighttime blood pressure dipping was classified into 4 categories:  normal, blunted, severe and reverse. Results: A total of 74 patients with nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy were included. Females constituted 64.9 % of the cases. Forty patients (53.3%) were found to have diabetes mellitus. While 41 participants (55.5 %) were hypertensive. Nocturnal dipping of blood pressure was measured in 38 patients. Only 6 (15.7%) of them had severe dipping. Conclusions: There may be an association between diabetes mellitus but not nighttime blood pressure dipping with nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy.