Relationship between retinal vessel diameters and retinopathy in the Inter99 Eye Study

Purpose: To examine the association between retinal vessel diameters and retinopathy in participants with and without type 2 diabetes in a Danish population-based cohort. Methods: The study included 878 persons aged 30 to 60 years from the Inter99 Eye Study. Retinopathy was defined as a presence of one or more retinal hemorrhages or one or more microaneurysms. Vessel diameters were expressed as central retinal artery equivalent diameter (CRAE) and central retinal vein equivalent diameter (CRVE). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results: Among participants with diabetes, CRAE was 6.3 µm (CI 95%: 1.0 to 11.6, p = 0.020) wider and CRVE was 7.9 µm (CI 95%: 0.7 to 15.2, p = 0.030) wider in those with retinopathy compared to those without retinopathy, after adjusting for age, gender, HbA1c, blood pressure, smoking, serum total and HDL cholesterol. In all participants, CRAE increased with presence of retinopathy (p = 0.005) and with smoking (p = 0.001), and CRAE decreased with hypertension (p < 0.001), high HDL cholesterol (p = 0.016) and age (p < 0.001). Central retinal vein equivalent diameter increased with presence of retinopathy (p = 0.022) and with smoking (p < 0.001), and decreased with higher HDL cholesterol (p < 0.001) and age (p = 0.015). Female gender was associated with wider CRVE (p = 0.029). Conclusions: Wider retinal vessel diameters were associated with the presence of retinopathy in participants with diabetes, but not in participants without diabetes. The associations between retinal vessel diameters and known retinopathy risk factors were confirmed. These results suggest that information obtained by non-invasive imaging of the interior of the eye can contribute to a better understanding of systemic disease processes

Retinal Vessel Diameters and Their Relationship with Cardiovascular Risk and All-Cause Mortality in the Inter99 Eye Study:A 15-Year Follow-Up

Purpose. To describe associations between retinal vessel diameters and cardiovascular risk markers and mortality. Methods. The present study included 908 persons aged 30 to 60 years. Vessel diameters were expressed as central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) and central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE). Multiple linear regression analyses and Cox regression models were used. Results. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that narrower CRAE was associated with higher systolic blood pressure, age, and higher HDL cholesterol, whereas wider CRAE and CRVE were associated with smoking. Narrower CRVE was associated with higher HDL cholesterol. In an age-adjusted model, associations between wider CRVE and risk of ischemic heart disease were found (P<0.001). Wider CRVE was associated with all-cause mortality (HR = 2.02, P=0.033) in a model adjusted for age, gender, and blood pressure. However, the association was not statistically significant after additional adjustment for smoking. Conclusions. The associations between retinal vessel diameters and known cardiovascular risk factors were confirmed. All-cause mortality was not associated with retinal vessel diameters when adjusting for relevant confounders

Retinal Vessel Diameters and Their Relationship with Cardiovascular Risk and All-Cause Mortality in the Inter99 Eye Study: A 15-Year Follow-Up

properly cited. Purpose. To describe associations between retinal vessel diameters and cardiovascular risk markers and mortality. Methods. The present study included 908 persons aged 30 to 60 years. Vessel diameters were expressed as central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) and central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE). Multiple linear regression analyses and Cox regression models were used. Results. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that narrower CRAE was associated with higher systolic blood pressure, age, and higher HDL cholesterol, whereas wider CRAE and CRVE were associated with smoking. Narrower CRVE was associated with higher HDL cholesterol. In an age-adjusted model, associations between wider CRVE and risk of ischemic heart disease were found ( &lt; 0.001). Wider CRVE was associated with all-cause mortality (HR = 2.02, = 0.033) in a model adjusted for age, gender, and blood pressure. However, the association was not statistically significant after additional adjustment for smoking. Conclusions. The associations between retinal vessel diameters and known cardiovascular risk factors were confirmed. All-cause mortality was not associated with retinal vessel diameters when adjusting for relevant confounders