Effect of vitamin D deficiency on ocular blood flow

Abstract

Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) on retrobulbar blood flow in healthy eyes. Material and Methods: In this prospective study, thirty eyes of 30 patients with VDD (Group 1) and 25 eyes of 25 individuals without VDD (Group 2) were included. The peak systolic flow velocity (PSV), end-diastolic flow velocity (EDV) and vascular resistance index (RI) were obtained from the ophthalmic artery (OA) with color doppler imaging. Multiple linear regression was performed for the covariate-adjusted comparison. Results: Mean ages were 37.83±9.89 years in Group 1 and 35.32±9.61 years in Group 2, (p = 0.347). Mean values of serum 25(OH)D3 level were 11.38 ± 3.85 ng/dl in Group 1 and 26.80 ± 10.03 ng/dl in Group 2 (p < 0.001). PSV and EDV were significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (p<0.001, p=0.001, respectively). RI was slightly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2, but this difference was not statistically significant. In multivariate linear regression, PSV and EDV were positively correlated with OPP, and negatively affected by the presence of VDD. Discussion: VDD can be an important factor in reducing ocular blood flow.