Arterial hypertension and retinal layer thickness: the Beijing Eye Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Blood pressure is a critical cardiovascular indicator.
• Retinal layer thickness can reflect systemic health.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables detailed retinal imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between blood pressure levels and the thickness of individual retinal layers in the macula.
• To explore potential biomarkers for hypertension-related changes in the retina.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the population-based Beijing Eye Study (2237 participants).
• Employed optical coherence tomography (OCT) for macular imaging.
• Applied automated multi-surface segmentation to measure retinal layer thicknesses.

Main Results:

• Higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) correlated with thinner ganglion cell layer (GCL) and thicker inner nuclear layer (INL).
• Increased SBP was associated with thinner photoreceptor outer segments (POS), while higher DBP was linked to a thinner retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL).
• Specific changes in RNFL, GCL, INL, and POS thickness were quantified per 10 mmHg increase in SBP/DBP.

Conclusions:

• Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), and photoreceptor outer segments (POS) thickness showed inverse associations with blood pressure.
• Inner nuclear layer (INL) thickness demonstrated a positive association with blood pressure.
• These correlations may enhance the morphometric detection of retinal diseases and hypertension-related ocular changes.