| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
1From the Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; the 2Singapore National Eye Center and 3National University of Singapore, Singapore; and the 4Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.
PURPOSE. To describe the cross-sectional relationship between retinal arteriolar and venular diameters with age and blood pressure.
METHODS. A population-based study was conducted in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin (n = 4926, age range, 43–84 years). Retinal photographs of right eyes taken at the baseline examination (1988–90) were digitized. All arterioles and venules located in the area between one-half and one disc diameter from the optic disc margin were measured with a computer-based program. These measurements were combined to provide the average diameters of retinal arterioles and venules of each eye, and the association with age and blood pressure (BP) was analyzed.
RESULTS. After controlling for gender, hypertension, diabetes, serum glucose and lipids, cigarette smoking, and body mass index, retinal arteriolar diameters were found to be decreased by 2.1 µm (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5–2.7) for each decade increase in age, and by 4.4 µm (95% CI, 3.8–5.0) for each 10-mm Hg increase in mean arterial BP. The association of narrowed retinal arterioles and higher BP was stronger in younger persons. For each 10-mm Hg increase in mean arterial BP, arteriolar diameters decreased by 7.0 µm in persons aged 43 to 54 years but by only 2.5 µm in persons aged 75 to 84 years. In contrast, retinal venular diameters narrowed with increasing age but not with increasing BP.
CONCLUSIONS. Retinal arteriolar diameters are narrower in older persons and in persons with higher BP, independent of other factors. The weaker association of retinal arteriolar diameters and BP in older people may reflect greater sclerosis of the retinal arterioles, preventing a degree of narrowing with higher BP similar to that seen in younger persons.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J. J. Wang, E. Rochtchina, G. Liew, A. G. Tan, T. Y. Wong, S. R. Leeder, W. Smith, A. Shankar, and P. Mitchell The Long-term Relation among Retinal Arteriolar Narrowing, Blood Pressure, and Incident Severe Hypertension Am. J. Epidemiol., July 1, 2008; 168(1): 80 - 88. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Sun, G. Liew, J. J. Wang, P. Mitchell, S. M. Saw, T. Aung, E. S. Tai, and T. Y. Wong Retinal Vascular Caliber, Blood Pressure, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in an Asian Population: The Singapore Malay Eye Study Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., May 1, 2008; 49(5): 1784 - 1790. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. L. Baker, P. J. Hand, J. J. Wang, and T. Y. Wong Retinal Signs and Stroke: Revisiting the Link Between the Eye and Brain Stroke, April 1, 2008; 39(4): 1371 - 1379. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. A.J. Struijker-Boudier Retinal Microcirculation and Early Mechanisms of Hypertension Hypertension, April 1, 2008; 51(4): 821 - 822. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. T. Nguyen, J. J. Wang, and T. Y. Wong Retinal Vascular Changes in Pre-Diabetes and Prehypertension: New findings and their research and clinical implications Diabetes Care, October 1, 2007; 30(10): 2708 - 2715. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. E. Hirai, S. E. Moss, M. D. Knudtson, B. E. K. Klein, and R. Klein Retinopathy and Survival in a Population without Diabetes: The Beaver Dam Eye Study Am. J. Epidemiol., September 15, 2007; 166(6): 724 - 730. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. J. Wang, G. Liew, R. Klein, E. Rochtchina, M. D. Knudtson, B. E.K. Klein, T. Y. Wong, G. Burlutsky, and P. Mitchell Retinal vessel diameter and cardiovascular mortality: pooled data analysis from two older populations Eur. Heart J., August 2, 2007; 28(16): 1984 - 1992. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Mitchell, N. Cheung, K. de Haseth, B. Taylor, E. Rochtchina, F. M. A. Islam, J. J. Wang, S. M. Saw, and T. Y. Wong Blood Pressure and Retinal Arteriolar Narrowing in Children Hypertension, May 1, 2007; 49(5): 1156 - 1162. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Cheung, F. M. A. Islam, S. M. Saw, A. Shankar, K. de Haseth, P. Mitchell, and T. Y. Wong Distribution and Associations of Retinal Vascular Caliber with Ethnicity, Gender, and Birth Parameters in Young Children Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., March 1, 2007; 48(3): 1018 - 1024. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Kaushik, A. Kifley, P. Mitchell, and J. J. Wang Age, Blood Pressure, and Retinal Vessel Diameter: Separate Effects and Interaction of Blood Pressure and Age Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., February 1, 2007; 48(2): 557 - 561. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Liew, A. R. Sharrett, R. Kronmal, R. Klein, T. Y. Wong, P. Mitchell, A. Kifley, and J. J. Wang Measurement of Retinal Vascular Caliber: Issues and Alternatives to Using the Arteriole to Venule Ratio Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., January 1, 2007; 48(1): 52 - 57. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Kochkorov, K. Gugleta, C. Zawinka, R. Katamay, J. Flammer, and S. Orgul Short-term retinal vessel diameter variability in relation to the history of cold extremities. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., September 1, 2006; 47(9): 4026 - 4033. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. C. B. B. Taarnhoj, M. Larsen, B. Sander, K. O. Kyvik, L. Kessel, J. L. Hougaard, and T. I. A. Sorensen Heritability of retinal vessel diameters and blood pressure: a twin study. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., August 1, 2006; 47(8): 3539 - 3544. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Y. Wong, F. M. A. Islam, R. Klein, B. E. K. Klein, M. F. Cotch, C. Castro, A. R. Sharrett, and E. Shahar Retinal Vascular Caliber, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Inflammation: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., June 1, 2006; 47(6): 2341 - 2350. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. J. Wang and T. Y. Wong Genetic Determinants of Retinal Vascular Caliber: Additional Insights Into Hypertension Pathogenesis Hypertension, April 1, 2006; 47(4): 644 - 645. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Xing, B. E.K. Klein, R. Klein, G. Jun, K. E. Lee, and S. K. Iyengar Genome-Wide Linkage Study of Retinal Vessel Diameters in the Beaver Dam Eye Study Hypertension, April 1, 2006; 47(4): 797 - 802. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. K. Ikram, J. C.M. Witteman, J. R. Vingerling, M. M.B. Breteler, A. Hofman, and P. T.V.M. de Jong Retinal Vessel Diameters and Risk of Hypertension: The Rotterdam Study Hypertension, February 1, 2006; 47(2): 189 - 194. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A Grosso, F Veglio, M Porta, F M Grignolo, and T Y Wong Hypertensive retinopathy revisited: some answers, more questions Br. J. Ophthalmol., December 1, 2005; 89(12): 1646 - 1654. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Y. Wong and R. McIntosh Hypertensive retinopathy signs as risk indicators of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality Br. Med. Bull., September 7, 2005; 73-74(1): 57 - 70. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Y. Wong, A. Shankar, R. Klein, B. E. K. Klein, and L. D. Hubbard Retinal Arteriolar Narrowing, Hypertension, and Subsequent Risk of Diabetes Mellitus Arch Intern Med, May 9, 2005; 165(9): 1060 - 1065. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. E. Walshe, G. Ferguson, P. Connell, C. O'Brien, and P. A. Cahill Pulsatile Flow Increases the Expression of eNOS, ET-1, and Prostacyclin in a Novel In Vitro Coculture Model of the Retinal Vasculature Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., January 1, 2005; 46(1): 375 - 382. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Y. Wong and P. Mitchell Hypertensive Retinopathy N. Engl. J. Med., November 25, 2004; 351(22): 2310 - 2317. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. E. Lee, B. E. K. Klein, R. Klein, and M. D. Knudtson Familial Aggregation of Retinal Vessel Caliber in the Beaver Dam Eye Study Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., November 1, 2004; 45(11): 3929 - 3933. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Y. Wong, A. Shankar, R. Klein, B. E K Klein, and L. D Hubbard Prospective cohort study of retinal vessel diameters and risk of hypertension BMJ, July 10, 2004; 329(7457): 79. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. K. Ikram, F. J. de Jong, J. R. Vingerling, J. C. M. Witteman, A. Hofman, M. M. B. Breteler, and P. T. V. M. de Jong Are Retinal Arteriolar or Venular Diameters Associated with Markers for Cardiovascular Disorders? The Rotterdam Study Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., July 1, 2004; 45(7): 2129 - 2134. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Y. Wong, M. D. Knudtson, R. Klein, B. E. K. Klein, and L. D. Hubbard A Prospective Cohort Study of Retinal Arteriolar Narrowing and Mortality Am. J. Epidemiol., May 1, 2004; 159(9): 819 - 825. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
