Functional ophthalmodynamometry. Comparison between brachial and ophthalmic blood pressure in sitting and supine position.

Ophthalmodynamometry was done by 96 normotensive volunteers and 62 hypertensive patients in sitting and supine position. A high correlation between the brachial and ophthalmic blood pressure was found in both groups, and in both positions. The brachial blood pressure of normotensive subjects did not show any difference in both positions. Although the systolic brachial blood pressure did not show significant changes in hypertension, the diastolic--and the calculated mean brachial blood pressure has been slightly but significantly decreased in the supine position. In both groups, normotension and hypertension, the ophthalmic blood pressure was found to be dependent from the level of the systemic blood pressure and the position of patient. It is significantly higher in the supine position than in the sitting position. The higher the systemic blood pressure in the sitting position, the less was the increase of the ophthalmic blood pressure in the supine position.