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Updated: May 14, 2026

Assessment of Human Adipose Tissue Microvascular Function Using Videomicroscopy
Published on: September 29, 2017
Obesity and the microvasculature: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Adrien Boillot1, Sophia Zoungas, Paul Mitchell
1Department of Periodontology, University Paris 7, Paris, France.
Background:
Overweight and obesity are thought to significantly influence a person's risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly via its effect on the microvasculature. Retinal vascular caliber is a surrogate marker of microvascular disease and a predictor of cardiovascular events. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the association between body mass index (BMI) and retinal vascular caliber.
Methods And Findings:
Relevant studies were identified by searches of the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from 1966 to August 2011. Standardized forms were used for data extraction. Among over 44,000 individuals, obese subjects had narrower arteriolar and wider venular calibers when compared with normal weight subjects, independent of conventional cardiovascular risk factors. In adults, a 1 kg/m(2) increase in BMI was associated with a difference of 0.07 μm [95% CI: -0.08; -0.06] in arteriolar caliber and 0.22 μm [95% CI: 0.21; 0.23] in venular caliber. Similar results were found for children.
Conclusions:
Higher BMI is associated with narrower retinal arteriolar and wider venular calibers. Further prospective studies are needed to examine whether a causative relationship between BMI and retinal microcirculation exists.
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