Color-vision disturbances in patients with coronary artery disease

In view of the generally impair-ed vascular condition in patients with coro nary artery disease (CAD), we were interested in the condition of their col or perception. Color vision was examined by the cap-sorting test, Roth 28-h ue desaturated. Twenty-four patients (m:f = 23:1, mean age 58 +/- 9 years) with an angiographically documented coronary artery disease and 30 generall y healthy controls (m:f = 29:1; mean age 54 +/- 7) were examined. Visual ac uity, visual field, intraocular pressure, and the cup/disc ratio of the pat ients were within normal range. However the results of the color vision tes ting revealed a significantly higher error score in the group of patients w ith CAD than in the control group (median +/- mean absolute deviation: 222 +/- 84; p < 0.001). In conclusion, although patients with coronary artery d isease appeared ophthalmo-logically healthy under routine eye examination, their color vision was disturbed This should be taken into account in color -vision testing to avoid diagnostic inferences between specifically ocular diseases (e.g., glaucoma) and atherosclerosis. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.