Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2010.08.045
Title: Retinal vascular tortuosity, blood pressure, and cardiovascular risk factors
Authors: Cheung, C.Y.-L.
Zheng, Y.
Hsu, W. 
Lee, M.L. 
Lau, Q.P. 
Mitchell, P.
Wang, J.J.
Klein, R.
Wong, T.Y. 
Issue Date: 2011
Citation: Cheung, C.Y.-L., Zheng, Y., Hsu, W., Lee, M.L., Lau, Q.P., Mitchell, P., Wang, J.J., Klein, R., Wong, T.Y. (2011). Retinal vascular tortuosity, blood pressure, and cardiovascular risk factors. Ophthalmology 118 (5) : 812-818. ScholarBank@NUS Repository. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2010.08.045
Abstract: Objective To examine the relationship of retinal vascular tortuosity to age, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular risk factors. Design Population-based, cross-sectional study. Participants A total of 3280 participants aged 40 to 80 years from the Singapore Malay Eye Study (78.7% response rate). Methods Retinal arteriolar and venular (vascular) tortuosity were quantitatively measured from fundus images using a computer-assisted program. Retinal vascular tortuosity was defined as the integral of the curvature square along the path of the vessel, normalized by the total path length. Data on blood pressure and major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors were collected from all participants. Mean Outcome Measures Retinal arteriolar and venular tortuosity. Results A total of 2915 participants contributed data to this study. The mean (standard deviation) and median were 2.99 (1.40) and 2.73 for retinal arteriolar tortuosity (×10 4), and 4.64 (2.39) and 4.19 for retinal venular tortuosity (×10 4), respectively. Retinal venules were significantly more tortuous than retinal arterioles (P < 0.001). In multivariable-adjusted linear regression models, less arteriolar tortuosity was independently associated with older age, higher blood pressure, higher body mass index (BMI), and narrower retinal arteriolar caliber (all P < 0.05); greater venular tortuosity was independently associated with younger age, higher blood pressure, lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, and wider retinal venular caliber (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Retinal arteriolar tortuosity was associated with older age and higher levels of blood pressure and BMI, whereas venular tortuosity was also associated with lower HDL level. The quantitative assessment of retinal vascular tortuosity from retinal images may provide further information regarding effects of cardiovascular risk factors on the retinal vasculature. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article. © 2011 American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Source Title: Ophthalmology
URI: http://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/43083
ISSN: 01616420
DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2010.08.045
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