Relationship of Wall-to-Lumen Ratio of Retinal Arterioles With Clinic and 24-Hour Blood Pressure

• Published in: Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. 1979) Vol. 63; no. 5; pp. 1110 - 1115
• Main Authors: Salvetti, Massimo, Agabiti Rosei, Claudia, Paini, Anna, Aggiusti, Carlo, Cancarini, Anna, Duse, Sarah, Semeraro, Francesco, Rizzoni, Damiano, Agabiti Rosei, Enrico, Muiesan, Maria Lorenza
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01.05.2014
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Arterioles - diagnostic imaging; Arterioles - physiology; Arterioles - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood Pressure - physiology; Cardiology. Vascular system; Circadian Rhythm - physiology; Female; Hemodynamics - physiology; Humans; Hypertension - drug therapy; Hypertension - physiopathology; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry - methods; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pulse Wave Analysis; Regression Analysis; Retinal Artery - diagnostic imaging; Retinal Artery - physiology; Retinal Artery - physiopathology; Retrospective Studies; Ultrasonography; Wall; Arteriole; Cardiovascular disease; Retina; Arterial pulse; Eye; Visual system; Microcirculation; Blood vessel; pulse wave analysis; Arterial pressure; Blood pressure; Ratio; Stiffness; Ambulatory; Monitoring; retinal vessels; Hypertension; vascular stiffness; Clinic; blood pressure monitoring, ambulatory; Surveillance; Analysis; Hemodynamics; Circulatory system
• ISSN: 0194-911X; 1524-4563; 1524-4563
• DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.113.03004

Wall-to-lumen ratio of retinal arterioles might serve as an in vivo parameter of vascular damage. We analyzed the impact of brachial clinic blood pressure (BP), of central BP, and of 24-hour BP on wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) of retinal arterioles. In 295 subjects (147 men; age range, 22–72 years; mean age, 54±7 years), WLR of retinal arterioles was assessed in vivo using scanning laser Doppler flowmetry. In addition, clinic and 24-hour BP values were measured. Central hemodynamics was assessed by pulse wave analysis. In treated patients with essential hypertension (n=100), a higher WLR (0.29±0.18 versus 0.23±0.13; P =0.009) was observed in comparison with normotensive individuals (n=119); no significant differences were observed between treated and untreated hypertensive patients (0.29±0.18 versus 0.28±0.18; P =0.7). WLR of retinal arterioles was significantly related to clinic systolic ( r =0.18; P =0.002) and pulse pressure ( r =0.20; P =0.001), to 24-hour systolic ( r =0.25; P =0.0001) and pulse pressure ( r =0.17; P =0.005), and to central systolic ( r =0.16; P =0.006) and pulse pressure ( r =0.18; P =0.002). Multiple regression analysis revealed that only mean systolic 24-hour BP was independently associated with an increased WLR of retinal arterioles. In this large group of hypertensive patients and normotensive individuals, 24-hour systolic BP seems to be the strongest determinant of increased WLR of retinal arterioles.