title: The relationship of body fatness indices and retinal vascular caliber in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between body fatness indices and retinal vascular calibre in Singapore Chinese children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 136 Singapore Chinese children aged 6-16 years from the STARS (The Strabismus, Amblyopia and Refractive Error Study in Singaporean Chinese Preschoolers) Family study in 2008-2010. Anthropometric measurements including weight, height and triceps skinfold (TSF) and right eye retinal photographs were performed. TSF was measured with Holtain-Tanner calliper on the back of the arm and midway between the point of the acromoion and olecranon process while the arm was hanging relaxed. TSF and BMI threshold (cut-off points for overweight and obesity) were defined as 85th and above of age- and gender-specific TSF and BMI standard charts which were based on American representative survey data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean retinal arteriolar and venular calibres were 155.78 ? 15.02 ?m and 219.66 ? 21.88 ?m, respectively in the STARS Family study. Each standard deviation (SD) increase in TSF (4.49 mm) and BMI (3.52 kg/m(2)) was associated with a 2.94 ?m (p = 0.012) and a 3.40 ?m (p = 0.005) widening in retinal venular calibre, respectively. Compared with children with TSF and BMI below threshold, children with TSF and BMI above threshold had a 10.21 ?m (p = 0.001) and a 9.33 ?m (p = 0.021) increase in retinal venular calibre, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater TSF and BMI are associated with wider retinal venular calibre in healthy children aged 6 years and above. These findings suggest a possible effect of abnormal body fatness indices on early retinal vascular changes that reflect microvasculature in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine , National University of Singapore , Singapore.
authors.forename: Ling-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Carol Yim-Lui
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.forename: Prabakaran
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Selvaraj
authors.forename: Xiao-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Tien-Yin
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Seang-Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Saw
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000208:ethnology; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001160:Arterioles / Q000473:pathology; D044466:Asian People; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D014699:Venules / Q000473:pathology