title: Prevalence and associations of asymptomatic retinal emboli in Latinos: the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence and associations of asymptomatic retinal emboli in a cohort of Latinos and to compare these findings with those of previous population studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  All participants in this study underwent a comprehensive eye examination, including fundus photography. Photographs were graded by trained masked graders. Lifestyle factors and medical history were obtained during extensive interviews. Blood pressure, serum glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin were measured. Age- and gender-specific prevalence rates were calculated. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using stepwise logistic regression analyses to identify independent risk factor associated with asymptomatic retinal emboli.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Photographs gradable for retinal emboli were obtained from 5,959 participants. For all participants, the prevalence of definite asymptomatic retinal emboli was 0.4% (n = 26). Stepwise logistic regression analyses identified smoking (> five pack years; OR, 4.3) and history of coronary artery disease (OR, 2.8) to be associated independently with retinal emboli (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a lower prevalence of asymptomatic retinal emboli compared with previous population-based studies. This could be secondary to the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES) population being younger, having lower blood pressure, and having fewer smokers than other studies. As in other studies, smoking emerges as the strongest association with retinal emboli.
authors.affiliation: Doheny Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Susan Liu
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hoki
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.forename: Mei Ying
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Stanley P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Azen
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004617:Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D015995:Prevalence; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin