Reference values of retinal microcirculation parameters derived from a population random sample

Cífková R, Harazny JM, Bruthans J, Wohlfahrt P, Krajčoviechová A, Lánská V, Gelžinský J, Mateřánková M, Mareš Š, Filipovský J, Mayer O, Schmieder R (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Microvascular Research Elsevier

Book Volume: 134

Article Number: 104117

DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2020.104117

Abstract

Retinal microcirculation reflects retinal perfusion abnormalities and retinal arterial structural changes at relatively early stages of various cardiovascular diseases. Our objective has been to establish reference values for major functional and structural parameters of retinal microcirculation in a randomly selected urban population sample. A total of 398 randomly selected individuals from an urban population aged 25 to 65 years, resident in Pilsen, Czech Republic, were screened for major cardiovascular risk factors. Retinal microcirculation was assessed using scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (SLDF), with data evaluable in 343 patients. Of this number, complete data were available for 256 individuals free from manifest cardiovascular disease, diabetes and drug treatment for hypertension and/or dyslipidemia, constituting the reference value population. Juxtapapillary retinal capillary blood flow has increased significantly with age whereas vessel and luminal diameters have decreased. No sex differences in retinal microcirculation parameters have been found. Therefore, reference values for retinal microcirculation parameters have been established by age groups. Unattended automated office systolic BP, after adjusting for age, correlated significantly with wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) and wall thickness (WT). Moreover, after adjusting for age and mean BP, a positive relationship has been found between carotid femoral pulse wave velocity and WT, WLR and wall cross-sectional area, indicating the interaction between micro- and macro-vasculature. In conclusion, our study is the first to provide reference values of retinal microcirculation parameters in a random Caucasian population sample. Our results have shown that, at the population level, the first structural changes in retinal microcirculation are those in lumen diameters. Of note, a close relationship between BP and vascular remodeling of retinal arterioles and between aortic stiffness and WLR of retinal arterioles suggests an interaction between micro- and macro-vasculature.

Authors with CRIS profile

Roland Schmieder Professur für Innere Medizin (Nephrologie)

Involved external institutions

Univerzita Karlova v Praze / Charles University in Prague CZ Czech Republic (CZ) Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM) CZ Czech Republic (CZ)

How to cite

APA:

Cífková, R., Harazny, J.M., Bruthans, J., Wohlfahrt, P., Krajčoviechová, A., Lánská, V.,... Schmieder, R. (2021). Reference values of retinal microcirculation parameters derived from a population random sample. Microvascular Research, 134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mvr.2020.104117

MLA:

Cífková, Renata, et al. "Reference values of retinal microcirculation parameters derived from a population random sample." Microvascular Research 134 (2021).

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