The Role of Retinal Vascular Density as a Screening Tool for Ageing and Stroke

• Published in: Ophthalmic research Vol. 60; no. 1; p. 1
• Main Authors: Sprödhuber, Andrea, Wolz, Johannes, Budai, Attila, Laumeier, Inga, Audebert, Heinrich J, Michelson, Georg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 01.01.2018
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - pathology; Case-Control Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Mass Screening - methods; Middle Aged; Ophthalmoscopy - methods; Regression Analysis; Reproducibility of Results; Retinal Diseases - diagnosis; Retinal Diseases - etiology; Retinal Vessels - pathology; Risk Factors; Stroke - complications; Stroke - diagnosis; Screening; Stroke; Transient ischemic attack; Retinal vascular density; Telemedicine; Ageing; Retinal arteries; Retinal vessels; Cerebrovascular disease
• ISSN: 1423-0259
• DOI: 10.1159/000488491

To measure the density of retinal vessels from digitized fundus photographs in patients with recent stroke and age-matched controls. To investigate whether the parameter retinal vascular density (RVD) served as a quantitative marker for cerebrovascular events. Digitized fundus photographs of n = 158 subjects with stroke or transient ischemic attack within 1 year at the time of examination and n = 1,250 age-matched controls without any remarkable medical history were examined. Sex, hypertension, and diabetes were considered to be cofactors. Measurement of RVD was performed with a computer-aided image-analyzing program by segmenting automatically all visible retinal vessels and measuring areas of vessels in distinct circles around the optic disk. In controls RVD dwindles with increasing distance from the optic disk. RVD decreased significantly with age (p = 0.000). Stroke patients showed significantly lower values of RVD of -15% in comparison to age-matched controls. In old subjects, stroke in combination with hypertension is associated with a significant decreased RVD, and in middle-aged subjects diabetes and stroke are associated with a significant decreased RVD (p = 0.01). Age and stroke are significant risk factors for decreased RVD. Diabetes and arterial hypertension are additional significant risk factors in patients with stroke with respect to RVD.