Comparison of choroidal thickness and choroidal vascular index in normotensive dippers and nondippers

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Cardiology
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Blood pressure dipping patterns are associated with cardiovascular health.
• Alterations in choroidal circulation may indicate systemic vascular changes.
• Normotensive individuals with nondipping patterns represent a population at risk for vascular dysregulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate choroidal thickness and choroidal vascular index (CVI) in normotensive individuals with dipping versus nondipping blood pressure patterns.
• To determine if blood pressure dipping status influences ocular vascular parameters.

Main Methods:

• 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was used to categorize patients into dipper (≥10% nocturnal systolic BP decrease) and nondipper (<10% decrease) groups.
• Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was employed to measure subfoveal choroidal thickness and choroidal vascular index (CVI).
• Central macular thickness, retinal nerve fiber layer, and ganglion cell layer (GCL) were also analyzed.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in choroidal thickness, central macular thickness, retinal nerve fiber layer, or ganglion cell layer between dipper and nondipper groups.
• The choroidal vascular index (CVI) was significantly lower in the nondipper group compared to the dipper group (0.61±0.02 vs. 0.64±0.02; p<0.001).
• A negative correlation was found between choroidal vascular index (CVI) and subfoveal choroidal thickness in the nondipper group (Spearman; r=-0.419; p=0.033).

Conclusions:

• Nondipper individuals demonstrate a significantly reduced choroidal vascular index compared to dippers.
• These findings suggest that nondipping blood pressure patterns may be linked to vascular dysregulation impacting choroidal circulation.
• Further research is warranted to explore the clinical implications of these vascular changes in the eye.