Assessment of corneal biomechanical properties and intraocular pressure in myopic spanish healthy population

Purpose. To examine biomechanical parameters of the cornea in myopic eyes and their relationship with the degree of myopia in a western healthy population. Methods. Corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), Goldmann correlated intraocular pressure (IOP), and corneal compensated IOP (IOPcc) were measured using the ocular response analyzer (ORA) in 312 eyes of 177 Spanish subjects aged between 20 and 56 years. Refraction was expressed as spherical equivalent (SE), which ranged from 0 to -16.50 diopters (D) (mean: -3.88 ± 2.90 D). Subjects were divided into four groups according to their refractive status: group 1 or control group: emmetropia (-0.50 ≤ SE 0.05); nevertheless, IOPcc was significantly higher in the moderately myopic (15.47 ± 2.47 mmHg) and highly myopic (16.14 ± 2.59 mmHg) groups than in the emmetropia (15.15 ± 2.06 mmHg) and low myopia groups (14.53 ± 2.37 mmHg). No correlation between age and the measured parameters was found. CH and IOPcc were weakly but significantly correlated with SE (r = 0.171, P = 0.002 and r = -0.131, P = 0.021, resp.). Conclusions. Present study showed only a very weak, but significant, correlation between CH and refractive error, with CH being lower in both moderately and highly myopic eyes than that in the emmetropic and low myopic eyes. These changes in biomechanical properties of the cornea may have an impact on IOP measurement, increasing the risk of glaucoma