title: Relationship between peripheral blood flow in extremities and choroidal circulation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between subjectively estimated and objectively measured finger temperature on the one, and choroidal blood flow on the other side.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured submacular choroidal blood flow (CBF) in 73 healthy subjects. Based on the history of cold hands and feet, they were divided in three groups, reporting "never", "sometimes" and "always" having cold extremities. As an objective measure of finger temperature, it was recorded at the fingertips with an infrared thermometer (IRT). Analysis of variance for CBF based on the group selection and with blood and intraocular pressures as covariates was performed, as well as the correlation between CBF and IRT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 37 subjects in the group with "never" cold extremities, 20 in the group with "sometimes", and 16 subjects in the group with "always" cold extremities. Average age was 44.2 ± 12.9 years. CBF was 11.5 ± 7.3 AU (arbitrary units), 13.6 ± 6.1 AU and 14.3 ± 4.6 AU in the three groups, respectively. The ANOVA p-value was 0.04. Pearson's R for correlation between CBF and IRT was - 0.51, p < 0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjectively and objectively, colder extremities are associated with higher CBF, possibly due to the redistribution of blood flow.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polunina
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gugleta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kochkorov
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Katamay
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flammer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Orgül
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology*; D005121:Extremities / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013223:Statistics as Topic