Blood Pressure Drop May Cause Vision Loss.

• Position: High blood pressure medication can affect vision - Brief Article

People who take medications to control high blood pressure at bedtime or in excessive amounts may be at increased risk for an eye disorder known as anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) or stroke of the eye. According to Sohan Hayreh, professor of ophthalmology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, AION seems to have become increasingly common since the introduction of powerful blood pressure medications. In three-quarters of all AION cases, the precipitating factor is a drop in blood pressure during the night, the clue that led Hayreh and his team to investigate the relationship

between the drugs and the condition.

Brought on by a small stroke of the optic nerve, the result of diminished blood supply to the anterior (front part) of the optic nerve, AION may cause serious vision impairment. Some people with AION may not realize immediately that their vision has been affected. "I had one patient ... who did not discover his impairment until he went hunting and tried to aim his gun," Hayreh notes. He says that 25% of those who have an incident in one eye develop AION in the other eye within three years. "One day you are functioning fine, and within a few weeks, you have a serious visual disability."

Researchers looked at 925 episodes of the onset of AION to determine the time...