Acute intraocular pressure responses changes during dynamic resistance training in primary open-angle glaucoma patients and age-matched controls.

Background: Physical exercise has been proposed as a feasible strategy for preventing and managing glaucoma by modulating intraocular pressure (IOP) and ocular perfusion pressure (OPP). The primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess the IOP and OPP responses to dynamic resistance exercises (leg extension and biceps curl).

Methods: Twenty-six patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) (age = 68.9 ± 8.1 years) and 18 healthy age-matched controls (age = 69.6 ± 5.9 years) were recruited. Participants performed one set of 10 repetitions of both exercises at low- (light bar) and moderate-intensity (15RM). IOP and blood pressure were measured at baseline and after 1 and 5 min of passive recovery. Additionally, IOP was measured during training after each of the 10 repetitions.

Results: Our data showed a progressive IOP increase throughout the sets of leg extension and biceps curl exercises when performed at moderate intensity (p < 0.001). Remarkably, POAG patients showed a smaller IOP increase compared to controls (p = 0.048). The between-group differences for IOP changes were higher during the 10 exercise repetitions at moderate-intensity for both leg extension (average IOP rise: POAG = 0.3 ± 0.6 mmHg vs. control = 2.3 ± 0.7 mmHg) and biceps curl (average IOP rise: POAG = 1.4 ± 0.6 mmHg vs. control = 3.4 ± 0.8 mmHg) exercises. No changes in OPP were observed.

Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that moderate-intensity dynamic resistance training is a safe intervention for potentially improving physical fitness in medically treated POAG patients.