title: The relationship of retinal vessel diameters and fractal dimensions with blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to investigate the correlation between quantitative retinal vascular parameters such as central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE) and retinal vascular fractal dimension (D(f)), and cardiovascular risk factors in the Chinese Han population residing in the in islands of southeast China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this cross-sectional study, fundus photographs were collected and semi-automated analysis software was used to analyze retinal vessel diameters and fractal dimensions. Cardiovascular risk factors such as relevant medical history, blood pressure (BP), lipids, and blood glucose data were collected. Subjects had a mean age of 51.9 ± 12.0 years and included 812 (37.4%) males and 1,357 (62.6%) females. Of the subjects, 726 (33.5%) were overweight, 226 (10.4%) were obese, 272 (12.5%) had diabetes, 738 (34.0%) had hypertension, and 1,156 (53.3%) had metabolic syndrome. After controlling for the effects of potential confounders, multivariate analyses found that age (β = 0.06, P = 0.008), sex (β = 1.33, P = 0.015), mean arterial blood pressure (β = -0.12, P<0.001), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (β = -0.22, P = 0.008), and CRVE (β = 0.23, P<0.001) were significantly associated with CRAE. Age (β = -0.0012, P < 0.001), BP classification (prehypertension: β = -0.0075, P = 0.014; hypertension: β = -0.0131, P = 0.002), and hypertension history (β = -0.0007, P = 0.009) were significantly associated with D(f).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  D(f) exhibits a stronger association with BP than CRAE. Thus, D(f) may become a useful indicator of cardiovascular risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Provincial Institute of Clinical Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Pengli
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Provincial Institute of Clinical Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Provincial Institute of Clinical Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Provincial Institute of Clinical Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qiaowei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Provincial Institute of Clinical Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhonghai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory Center, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Falin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors