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Fundus Photography as a Convenient Tool to Study Microvascular Responses to Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Epidemiological Studies
10:11

Fundus Photography as a Convenient Tool to Study Microvascular Responses to Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Epidemiological Studies

Published on: October 22, 2014

Retinal microvascular abnormalities and incident stroke: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

T Y Wong1, R Klein, D J Couper

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705-2397, USA. wong@epi.ophth.wisc.edu

Lancet (London, England)
|October 13, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Retinal microvascular abnormalities, such as retinopathy and microaneurysms, are linked to an increased risk of stroke. These findings suggest retinal photography can help assess cerebrovascular risk.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Neurology
  • Vascular Medicine

Background:

  • Retinal microvascular abnormalities indicate vascular damage from conditions like hypertension.
  • This study investigated the association between retinal abnormalities and the risk of future strokes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between retinal microvascular abnormalities and incident stroke.
  • To determine if retinal photography can aid in cerebrovascular risk stratification.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 10,358 adults (aged 51-72) underwent retinal photography.
  • Retinal microvascular features and arteriole-to-venule ratio (AVR) were assessed.
  • Incident strokes were identified and validated over an average follow-up of 3.5 years.

Main Results:

  • Most retinal microvascular abnormalities were predictive of incident stroke after adjusting for risk factors.
  • Relative risks for stroke ranged from 1.60 for arteriovenous nicking to 3.11 for microaneurysms.
  • A decreasing arteriole-to-venule ratio (AVR) was associated with increased stroke risk (p=0.03).

Conclusions:

  • Retinal microvascular abnormalities are significantly associated with an increased risk of incident stroke.
  • Findings support a role for microvascular changes in stroke development.
  • Retinal photography may be a valuable tool for assessing cerebrovascular risk.
Abstract

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