title: Factors associated with changes in retinal microcirculation after antihypertensive treatment.
abstract: We report the results of hypertensive treatment over retinal arteriole narrowing in a group of 189 hypertensive patients during a 6-month treatment programme for hypertension. These patients were included in an observational study under clinical practice conditions and analysed using digital photographs of the eye fundus with a previously described semiautomatic snakes method. We analysed the relation between blood pressure control and retinal microcirculation changes during the treatment. We included 189 hypertensive patients; 74.0% of them had BP under control after 6 months of follow-up. The arteriovenous ratio (AVR), measured as the relation between the average retinal arteriole and venous diameter, significantly increased after 6 months of follow-up in both eyes (right eye AVR: 0.769±0.065 vs. 0.799±0.066 (P<0.0001); left eye AVR: 0.770±0.065 vs. 0.796±0.071 (P<0.0001)). AVR changes were caused by increases in arteriole diameter. No linear correlation was found between blood pressure-lowering levels and AVR increase, suggesting that other factors could be involved in the regression of retinal changes. We conclude that in our group of hypertensive patients it was possible to increase the retinal arteriole diameter, expressing an improvement in retinal microcirculation after 6 months of adequate BP control. Although there is an inverse tendency between blood pressure and arteriovenous ratio changes, we could not find a linear correlation between these changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Conxo Medicine Deparment, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Antonio
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Conxo Medicine Deparment, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Marta
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Abente y Lago, ACoruña, Spain.
authors.forename: D D J
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Luís
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Barbanza, Ribeira, Spain.
authors.forename: D P J
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Antonio
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital San Rafael, A Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Manuel
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Lucus Augusti, Lugo, Spain.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Rafael
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics and Computation (Artificial Vision Group) University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Sonia
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics and Computation (Artificial Vision Group) University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Manuel
authors.affiliation: Department of Econometrics, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: M-N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Isabel
authors.affiliation: Department of Econometrics, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: E N J
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Carlos
authors.affiliation: Assistance Healthcare Institute Anglès, Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital de Conxo, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: G U I
authors.initials: GU
authors.lastname: Francisco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001160:Arterioles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001565:Benzoates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000077333:Telmisartan
chemical_list: D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D001565:Benzoates; D004338:Drug Combinations; C436283:telmisartan, hydrochlorothiazide drug combination; D006852:Hydrochlorothiazide; D000077333:Telmisartan