Confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmetry of the optic nerve in smokers

Abstract

The many smoking-induced changes are diffuse and include, but are not limited to, coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular accidents. Cigarette smoking has even been suggested to be an important risk factor in the development of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. The purpose of the present investigation was to compare confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmeter parameters between otherwise healthy smokers and healthy nonsmokers. Confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmeter parameters were assessed in 58 healthy non-smokers and 20 otherwise healthy smokers in a middle-aged population. An analysis of covariance (covariate: age) disclosed decreased values for all confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmeter parameters (`Volume': p<0.036; `Flow': p<0.019; `Velocity': p<0.023) in smokers. The present study suggests that healthy smokers might have reduced confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmeter parameters at the optic nerve.