title: Retinal arteriolar narrowing predicts 5-year risk of hypertension in Japanese people: the Funagata study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether retinal arteriolar narrowing, possibly reflecting peripheral arteriolar vasoconstriction, predicts risk of hypertension in Japanese persons.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Funagata study is a population-based cohort study of Japanese aged 35+ years. Baseline examinations were conducted in 2000-2002 among 1058 persons without hypertension. Of these, 581 persons (55%) returned for a 5-year follow-up examination, with data on 563 available for analyses. Retinal photographs taken at the baseline visits were assessed for retinal arteriolar or venular diameter and retinal vessel wall signs using standardized protocols. Hypertension was defined if systolic blood pressure > or =140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure > or =90 mmHg or from self-reported clinical diagnosis, including the use of antihypertensive medications. Incident hypertension was defined as an absence of hypertension at baseline but presence of hypertension at the follow-up visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred ninety-three subjects (34.3%) had developed hypertension at 5-year follow-up. After adjusting for age, gender, baseline blood pressure and other risk factors, narrower retinal arterioles at baseline was significantly associated with an increased risk of incident hypertension (odds ratio per standard deviation decrease in arteriolar diameter: 1.53, 95% confidence interval: 1.08-2.18).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the concept that arteriolar narrowing, evident in the retina, signals an increased risk of developing hypertension in Japanese persons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Jie Jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tien Yin
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daimon
authors.forename: Toshihide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oizumi
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawata
authors.forename: Takamasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kayama
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001160:Arterioles / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D044466:Asian People; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014661:Vasoconstriction