title: Retinal vascular diameter in young subjects with a vasospastic propensity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Retinal vascular diameters have recently been shown not to be related to an increased risk of open-angle glaucoma. Because vasospastic propensity has been suggested to represent a risk factor for various ocular diseases, especially glaucoma, the steady-state retinal vascular diameter in subjects with a propensity for systemic vascular dysregulation was compared with a group of age-matched gender-matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty healthy non-smoking individuals [female/male 26/4; mean +/- SD age 22.8+/-3.4 (range 18-31) years] were enrolled into the study. Subjects were classified as having vasospasm (15 subjects) if they related a clear history of frequently cold hands and as healthy subjects (15 subjects) if they denied such a history. Vasospastic propensity or the absence of it had to be confirmed by nail-fold capillaroscopy. Vascular diameter of retinal vessels was measured repeatedly on two days with the retinal vessel analyser and corrected for perfusion pressure, age, and refraction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neither retinal arteriole diameter (P=0.30) or retinal venule diameter (P=0.49), nor retinal arteriole-to-venule ratio (P=0.96), differed between the two experimental groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although vasospastic propensity has been suggested to represent a risk factor in various ocular diseases, the steady-state retinal vessel diameters are not altered in healthy vasospastic subjects. It is probable that the steady-state retinal vessel diameters are no adequate risk indicators for the haemodynamic risk in diseases such as glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic of Basel, Mittlere Strasse 91, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Branca
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Orgül
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zawinka
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reinhard
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flammer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D009262:Nails / Q000098:blood supply; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013035:Spasm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*