title: Evidence of retinal vascular narrowing in glaucomatous eyes in an Asian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between retinal vascular caliber and glaucoma in an Asian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based, cross-sectional study of 3019 persons of Asian Malay ethnicity aged 40 to 80 years residing in Singapore. All participants had dilated digital retinal photographs taken of both eyes. From these, retinal vascular caliber was measured with a computer-based technique according to a standardized protocol. Glaucoma was diagnosed based on the International Society of Geographic and Epidemiologic Ophthalmology classification and included people with glaucomatous optic neuropathy and compatible visual field loss.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 127 (4.2%) participants with glaucoma. Mean retinal arteriolar and venular calibers were significantly narrower in persons with than in those without glaucoma (136.4 microm vs. 139.7 microm, P = 0.02 and 209.2 microm vs. 219.7 microm, P < 0.001, respectively). After adjusting for age, sex, smoking, IOP, and other vascular risk factors, persons with narrower retinal arteriolar and venular caliber were more likely to have glaucoma (odds ratio [OR], 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.56 and OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.24-1.79, for each SD reduction in arteriolar and venular caliber, respectively) and a vertical cup-to-disc ratio >or= 0.7 (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.12-1.63 and OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.38-1.98, respectively). Retinal vascular caliber was not associated with intraocular pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support an association of narrower retinal arteriolar and venular caliber changes with glaucomatous optic neuropathy, independent of intraocular pressure.
authors: Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore.
authors: Nishani
authors: N
authors: Amerasinghe
authors: Tin
authors: T
authors: Aung
authors: Ning
authors: N
authors: Cheung
authors: Chee Weng
authors: CW
authors: Fong
authors: Jie Jin
authors: JJ
authors: Wang
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Mitchell
authors: Seang-Mei
authors: SM
authors: Saw
authors: Tien Yin
authors: TY
authors: Wong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001160:Arterioles / Q000473:pathology; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D010781:Photography; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D014699:Venules / Q000473:pathology