title: Relationship of wall-to-lumen ratio of retinal arterioles with clinic and 24-hour blood pressure.
abstract: Wall-to-lumen ratio of retinal arterioles might serve as an in vivo parameter of vascular damage. We analyzed the impact of brachial clinic blood pressure (BP), of central BP, and of 24-hour BP on wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) of retinal arterioles. In 295 subjects (147 men; age range, 22-72 years; mean age, 54±7 years), WLR of retinal arterioles was assessed in vivo using scanning laser Doppler flowmetry. In addition, clinic and 24-hour BP values were measured. Central hemodynamics was assessed by pulse wave analysis. In treated patients with essential hypertension (n=100), a higher WLR (0.29±0.18 versus 0.23±0.13; P=0.009) was observed in comparison with normotensive individuals (n=119); no significant differences were observed between treated and untreated hypertensive patients (0.29±0.18 versus 0.28±0.18; P=0.7). WLR of retinal arterioles was significantly related to clinic systolic (r=0.18; P=0.002) and pulse pressure (r=0.20; P=0.001), to 24-hour systolic (r=0.25; P=0.0001) and pulse pressure (r=0.17; P=0.005), and to central systolic (r=0.16; P=0.006) and pulse pressure (r=0.18; P=0.002). Multiple regression analysis revealed that only mean systolic 24-hour BP was independently associated with an increased WLR of retinal arterioles. In this large group of hypertensive patients and normotensive individuals, 24-hour systolic BP seems to be the strongest determinant of increased WLR of retinal arterioles.
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Internal Medicine, c/o 2 Medicina, Spedali Civili, 25100 Brescia, Italy. muiesan@med.unibs.it.
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Salvetti
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Agabiti Rosei
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Paini
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Aggiusti
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Cancarini
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Duse
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Semeraro
authors: Damiano
authors: D
authors: Rizzoni
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Agabiti Rosei
authors: Maria Lorenza
authors: ML
authors: Muiesan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001160:Arterioles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: blood pressure monitoring, ambulatory; pulse wave analysis; retinal vessels; vascular stiffness