title: Can the retinal microvasculature offer clues to cardiovascular risk factors in early life?
abstract: Adulthood cardiovascular diseases (CVD) burdening in adulthood have been suggested to have possible predisposition early in life. We aimed to systematically review the literatures on retinal microvasculature among paediatric population in relation to a range of environmental and systemic changes. Papers with quantitative retinal vascular assessment and epidemiological design were reviewed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review supports the theory that major vascular diseases have pathological predisposition early in life by providing morphological evidence on retinal microcirculation in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Center, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Ling-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yung-Seng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tien-Yin
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Carol Yim-Lui
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Cheung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D004777:Environment; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D055806:Microvessels / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Cardiovascular risk factors; Early life; Environmental factors; Retinal microvasculature; Systemic factors