Retinal arteriolar and venular caliber is associated with a range of cardiovascular risk factors.

In a recently published article, scientists in Australia conducted a study “to describe the relationship of retinal arteriolar and venular caliber with cardiovascular risk factors, including inflammatory biomarkers, in a multiethnic population of whites, blacks, Hispanics, and Chinese.”

T.Y. Wong and colleagues at the University of Melbourne conducted “a crosssectional study comprising 5979 persons aged 45 to 84 years residing in six U.S. communities.

Retinal vascular caliber was measured and summarized from digital retinal photographs.

Standard cardiovascular risk factors, including biomarkers of inflammation (e.g., highsensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP], interleukin [IL]-6, and plasma fibrinogen) and endothelial dysfunction (e.g., soluble intercellular adhesion molecule [sICAM]-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor [PAI]-1) were assessed.”

The data showed, “Mean retinal arteriolar caliber was 144.1(plusminus)14.4 (SD) mcm, and venular caliber 214.0(plusminus)22.2 mcm. In models controlling for age, gender, race-ethnicity, and center, smaller retinal arteriolar caliber was related to higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, hypertension status, current alcohol consumption, greater body mass index, and higher levels of total homocysteine.

“[L]arger retinal arteriolar caliber was related to diabetes, current cigarette smoking, and higher levels of plasma fibrinogen; and larger retinal venular caliber was related to diabetes, current cigarette smoking, greater body mass index and waist-hip ratio, higher levels of serum glucose, plasma triglyceride, plasma LDL-cholesterol, hsCRP, plasma fibrinogen, IL6, sICAM- 1, and PAI-1 and lower levels of HDL-cholesterol. In multivariate analyses, blacks and Hispanics had larger retinal arteriolar and venular calibers than did whites and Chinese.”

The researchers concluded, “Retinal arteriolar and venular caliber is associated with a range of cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes, measures of obesity, and dyslipidemia. Venular caliber is also associated with systemic inflammation.”

Wong and colleagues published their study in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (Retinal vascular caliber, cardiovascular risk factors, and inflammation: The Multi- Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2006;47(6):2341-2350).

For more information, contact T.Y. Wong, University of Melbourne, Center Eye Research Australia, 32 Gisborne St., Melbourne, Vic 3002, Australia.

Publisher contact information for the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science is: Association Research Vision Ophthalmology Inc., 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852-1606, USA.