J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2015 Jun;56(6):925-930. 10.3341/jkos.2015.56.6.925.

Analysis of Retinal Vascular Calibers with Cardiovascular Risk Factors

• Jin KH
• Shin JH
• Kang JH

• KMID: 2339159
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2015.56.6.925

Abstract

PURPOSE
To analyze the association between retinal vascular caliber and cardiovascular risk factors including smoking, blood pressure, diabetes and age.
METHODS
This study included 60 Korean male participants 40-69 years of age. The retinal vessel caliber was measured using computer-assisted fundus photography. Four vessels coursing through the area of one half disc diameter from the optic disc margin were measured. Additionally, we analyzed the association between the retinal vessel caliber and risk factors including smoking, diabetes, hypertension and age.
RESULTS
Smoking was not significantly associated with retinal vessel calibers. The diabetes group showed larger average retinal vessel calibers than normal group, but veins were significantly wider (p < 0.05). The average retinal vessel caliber was wider and inferior vein and artery were significantly larger in the hypertension group (p < 0.05). Although the retinal vessel caliber increased with age, significance was observed only in the superior artery (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
In our study, retinal vessel caliber was easily measured using a semi-automatic computer program. This method should prove useful in further studies examining the correlation among retinal vessel caliber variations in many localized ophthalmologic disorder.

Keyword

Branch retinal artery; Branch retinal vein; Cardiovascular risk factor; Retinal vessel caliber

MeSH Terms

Arteries
Blood Pressure
Humans
Hypertension
Male
Photography
Retinal Vessels
Retinaldehyde*
Risk Factors*
Smoke
Smoking
Veins
Retinaldehyde
Smoke

Figure

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  Figure 1. The masurement of the retinal vessel caliber using computer-assisted method on fundus photography. Inferior and superior temporal veins and arteries coursing through the area of one half disc diameter from the optic disc margin were measured.

Reference

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