title: Obesity and the microvasculature: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Overweight and obesity are thought to significantly influence a person's risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly via its effect on the microvasculature. Retinal vascular caliber is a surrogate marker of microvascular disease and a predictor of cardiovascular events. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the association between body mass index (BMI) and retinal vascular caliber.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relevant studies were identified by searches of the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from 1966 to August 2011. Standardized forms were used for data extraction. Among over 44,000 individuals, obese subjects had narrower arteriolar and wider venular calibers when compared with normal weight subjects, independent of conventional cardiovascular risk factors. In adults, a 1 kg/m(2) increase in BMI was associated with a difference of 0.07 μm [95% CI: -0.08; -0.06] in arteriolar caliber and 0.22 μm [95% CI: 0.21; 0.23] in venular caliber. Similar results were found for children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher BMI is associated with narrower retinal arteriolar and wider venular calibers. Further prospective studies are needed to examine whether a causative relationship between BMI and retinal microcirculation exists.
authors: Department of Periodontology, University Paris 7, Paris, France.
authors: Adrien
authors: A
authors: Boillot
authors: Sophia
authors: S
authors: Zoungas
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Mitchell
authors: Ronald
authors: R
authors: Klein
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Klein
authors: Mohammad Kamran
authors: MK
authors: Ikram
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Klaver
authors: Jie Jin
authors: JJ
authors: Wang
authors: Bamini
authors: B
authors: Gopinath
authors: E Shyong
authors: ES
authors: Tai
authors: Aljoscha Steffen
authors: AS
authors: Neubauer
authors: Serge
authors: S
authors: Hercberg
authors: Laima
authors: L
authors: Brazionis
authors: Seang-Mei
authors: SM
authors: Saw
authors: Tien-Yin
authors: TY
authors: Wong
authors: Sébastien
authors: S
authors: Czernichow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D055806:Microvessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors
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