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Published on: October 22, 2014
Relative importance of systemic determinants of retinal arteriolar and venular caliber: the atherosclerosis risk in
Gerald Liew1, A Richey Sharrett, Jie Jin Wang
1Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne 3002, Australia.
Insights
High blood pressure narrows retinal arterioles, while smoking, high blood pressure, inflammation, and obesity widen retinal venules. These cardiovascular factors impact eye vasculature similarly across diverse groups.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Cardiovascular Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Retinal vascular caliber is linked to cardiovascular disease risk.
- Understanding systemic determinants of retinal vascular caliber is crucial for disease prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate systemic cardiovascular factors influencing retinal arteriolar and venular caliber.
- To compare these influences across different demographic groups (sex, race).
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.
- Measured central retinal arteriolar equivalent and central retinal venular equivalent from 8794 participants' retinal photographs.
Main Results:
- Higher mean arterial blood pressure was the primary determinant of narrower arterioles.
- Current cigarette smoking and higher mean arterial blood pressure were key determinants of wider venules.
- Associations were consistent across white and African American participants, and men and women.
Conclusions:
- Elevated blood pressure is the main factor for narrower retinal arterioles.
- Smoking, hypertension, systemic inflammation, and obesity contribute to wider retinal venules.
- These findings enhance understanding of systemic influences on retinal vasculature and cardiovascular disease risk.
Objective:
To examine the relative contributions of systemic cardiovascular factors to retinal arteriolar and venular caliber in men and women and in whites and African Americans.
Methods:
In the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, retinal arteriolar caliber (central retinal arteriolar equivalent), and venular caliber (central retinal venular equivalent) were measured from digitized retinal photographs of 8794 participants.
Results:
The main systemic determinants of narrower central retinal arteriolar equivalent were, in order of relative decreasing contribution, higher current mean arterial blood pressure, lower serum albumin level, current alcohol consumption, and higher body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared). The main systemic determinants of wider central retinal venular equivalent were current cigarette smoking and higher current mean arterial blood pressure, followed by higher white blood cell count, body mass index, and plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. These associations were generally similar in whites and African Americans and in men and women.
Conclusions:
The major systemic determinant of narrower retinal arteriolar caliber is higher blood pressure, while those of wider retinal venular caliber are cigarette smoking, higher blood pressure, systemic inflammation, and obesity. These data offer further insights into the systemic processes influencing arteriolar and venular characteristics and may help explain the observed associations of retinal vascular caliber and the risk of clinical cardiovascular disease.
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