A study by Hong Kong researchers on a group of people who had Silent Cerebral Infracts or mini-strokes is claiming that it is the reason behind normal-tension glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a disease of the eye caused by degeneration of optic nerve, which transmits signals to the brain. It results in gradual loss of vision. In normal cases, the blame goes to increased pressure of fluid in the eye. When found in people with normal intraocular pressure, it baffled doctors until now.

 This study was carried out on a group of 286 people who suffered from normal-tension glaucoma. It was found that the incidence of mini-stroke among the group is high. It was concluded that the combination of the two, made vision loss progress quicker.

Dr. Dexter Y.L. Leung, deputy coordinator of the glaucoma service at Hong Kong Eye Hospital and head of the study team asserts that vascular factors entwine with intraocular pressure to result in glaucoma.

The study reveals that people experiencing mini-strokes, which cause blockages in small arteries in the brain, are at higher risk of progressive vision loss. In glaucoma patients, only 15% have non-degenerative loss of vision despite having suffered silent infarcts.

The study group consisted only of patients of Chinese origin. More studies are needed to confirm the findings.

The study recommends that doctors treating normal-tension glaucoma patients should call for brain images to rule out silent infarcts. The researchers are now aiming to establish the connection between severity of the infarcts and the speed of progress of glaucoma.

As this type of glaucoma is deceiving, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends a detailed eye examination together with an examination of the optic nerve, latest by 40 years of age.

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