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Structural alterations of the retinal microcirculation in the "prehypertensive" high- normal blood pressure state

Guido Grassi1, Silvia Buzzi, Raffaella Dell'Oro

  • 1Clinica Medica, Ospedale S. Gerardo dei Tintori, Via Pergolesi 33, 20052 Monza, Italy. guido.grassi@unimib.it

Current Pharmaceutical Design
|November 24, 2012
PubMed

Insights

High-normal blood pressure, also known as prehypertension, is linked to early retinal microvascular changes. These alterations, including a reduced arterial venular ratio, appear even before established hypertension.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Cardiology
  • Nephrology

Background:

  • High-normal blood pressure (prehypertension) signifies increased cardiovascular risk and target organ damage.
  • Existing research indicates left ventricular mass, endothelial dysfunction, and renal damage in this state.
  • The impact on the retinal vascular network, common in hypertension, remains largely undefined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate retinal microvascular network alterations in individuals with high-normal blood pressure.
  • To review methodologies for assessing the retinal microcirculatory network.
  • To explore the early appearance and mechanisms of retinal microvascular changes in hypertension.

Main Methods:

  • Review of various approaches for assessing the retinal microcirculatory network.
  • Analysis of data from subjects with high-normal blood pressure.
  • Comparison of arterial venular ratio values in high-normal blood pressure and established hypertension groups.

Main Results:

  • A reduced arterial venular ratio was observed in individuals with high-normal blood pressure.
  • This reduction was more pronounced in individuals with established hypertension.
  • Retinal microvascular alterations are detectable early in hypertension and frequently present in the high-normal blood pressure state.

Conclusions:

  • Retinal microvascular alterations are early indicators in the clinical progression of hypertension.
  • These changes are frequently detected in the high-normal blood pressure (prehypertension) stage.
  • Hemodynamic and non-hemodynamic factors likely contribute to these structural changes in the retinal microcirculation.

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