The short-term effects of exercise on intraocular pressure, choroidal thickness and axial length

PLoS One. 2014 Aug 29;9(8):e104294. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104294. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Purpose: To explore ocular changes in healthy people after exercise.

Methods: Twenty five volunteers underwent exercise for 15 minutes on a treadmill. Measurements of choroidal thickness, intraocular pressure (IOP), ocular biometry, and blood pressure were taken before and after exercise. Enhanced Depth Imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) was used to measure choroidal thickness at the fovea. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured by Goldmann applanation tonometry. Ocular biometric measures were collected using A scan ultrasound. Blood pressure was measured concurrently with the acquisition of the scans.

Results: Twenty five volunteers (25 eyes) with a mean age of 25.44±3.25 years were measured. There was a significant increase in systolic and diastolic pressure after exercise (P<0.05). The IOP showed a significant decrease after exercise (P<0.05). However there was no significant difference in the mean choroidal thickness, ocular axial length, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, or vitreous length before and after exercise measurements (P>0.05).

Conclusion: There was a significant decrease in IOP from exercise without a change in choroidal thickness and ocular biometric measures. IOP and choroidal thickness were not correlated, suggesting that the IOP decrease from exercise is not due to changes in choridal thickness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Axial Length, Eye / anatomy & histology*
  • Axial Length, Eye / physiology
  • Biometry
  • Blood Pressure
  • Choroid / anatomy & histology*
  • Choroid / physiology
  • Exercise*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intraocular Pressure*
  • Male
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This project was also supported by the priming scientific research foundation for the junior research in Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.