title: Association between Ophthalmological Changes and Cardiovascular Diseases in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Hemodialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD) have a high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Arterial sclerosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of CVD. However, to date, there have been no reports of assessment of the association between retinal arterial sclerosis and CVD in patients with CKD on HD. The aim of this study was to assess retinal arterial sclerosis and to investigate the relationship between retinal arterial changes in patients with CKD on HD and arterial stiffness/past history of CVD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the data of 44 patients (21 female, 23 male) with CKD receiving HD treatment at Saiseikai Kurihashi Hospital. The relationship between ophthalmological changes and arterial stiffness [pulse wave velocity (PWV)] or past history of CVD was evaluated. All medications being taken were recorded, and biochemical parameters were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant correlations were found between the presence of arteriosclerotic retinopathy [Scheie classification S grade (grade 0: 7 patients, grade 1: 18 patients, grade 2: 14 patients, grade 3: 4 patients, and grade 4: 1 patient)] and results of the evaluation of arterial stiffness (PWV) and past history of CVD (p=0.001, p=0.045). Other ophthalmological findings were not associated with a history of CVD or arterial stiffness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We showed that the classification (Scheie S grade) of retinopathy on ophthalmoscopic examination may be a useful tool for predicting arterial stiffness and its association with CVD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kidney Center, Tokyo Women's Medical University.
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nokiba
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.forename: Chikako
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suto
authors.forename: Kosaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nitta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058437:Hypertensive Retinopathy / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D059289:Vascular Stiffness