Ehrlich Rita, Kheradiya Nisha S, Winston Diana M, Moore Daniel B, Wirostko Barbara, Harris Alon
Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2009 May;247(5):583-91. doi: 10.1007/s00417-008-1018-x. Epub 2008 Dec 16.
The global society is aging at an increasing rate, with a continually larger proportion of the population consisting of those over the age of 65. Age-related vascular changes have been demonstrated in ocular tissue, and the incidence and prevalence of diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and vascular occlusive diseases increase significantly with age.
This article reviews the current body of literature examining age-associated ocular vascular changes, and summarizes the aggregate findings. We discuss the potential role of the aging vasculature in the etiology of age-associated ocular disease, focusing on glaucoma.
Our working hypothesis is that although advancing age is a physiological phenomenon, there are stepwise hemodynamic and vascular changes that occur, predisposing the eye and other tissue beds to pathological conditions. Advancing age does not independently give rise to disease, but does generate increasingly vulnerable vascular beds that are susceptible to further insults.
These results compel a need for further investigation of age-related changes in ocular physiology and pathophysiology.
全球社会老龄化速度日益加快，65岁以上人口在总人口中所占比例持续增大。眼部组织已出现与年龄相关的血管变化，黄斑变性、青光眼和血管闭塞性疾病等病症的发病率和患病率也随年龄增长而显著上升。
本文回顾了当前研究年龄相关眼部血管变化的文献，并总结了总体研究结果。我们讨论了衰老血管系统在年龄相关眼病病因学中的潜在作用，重点关注青光眼。
我们的工作假设是，尽管年龄增长是一种生理现象，但会发生一系列血流动力学和血管变化，使眼睛和其他组织床易患病理状况。年龄增长本身不会引发疾病，但会产生越来越易受损伤的血管床，使其更容易受到进一步损害。
这些结果促使我们有必要进一步研究眼部生理和病理生理学中与年龄相关的变化。
