Retinal microvascular abnormalities tied to cardiovascular mortality

[unseennude]

Structural irregularities of the retinal microvasculature, based on computer analysis of retinal photographs, are associated with death from ischemic hearty disease and stroke, according to researchers.

"Moreover," investigator Dr. Alun D. Hughes told Reuters Health, "specific retinal abnormalities -- bifurcation optimality, tortuosity, and arteriolar narrowing -- may be able to differentiate coronary and stroke risk."

As reported in the May issue of Hypertension, Dr. Hughes of Imperial College London and colleagues conducted a population-based case-control study involving 126 subjects who died of ischemic heart disease and 26 who died of stroke over a 10-year period while taking part in a Wisconsin-based eye study.

Retinal photographs of these participants were digitized and compared with those from 528 controls.

The researchers found that cases of incident ischemic heart disease had impaired bifurcation optimality and reduced arteriolar tortuosity, independently of known cardiovascular risk factors.

In addition, a measure of generalized arteriolar narrowing was associated with increased stroke mortality, but this was not independent of blood pressure.

Given these finding, Dr. Hughes concluded that "in future, computerized assessment of the retinal microvascular network may be useful in the non-invasive assessment of target organ damage and cardiovascular risk."