Does Increased Blood Pressure Rather Than Aging Influence Retinal Pulse Wave Velocity?

Abstract

Purpose: : We demonstrated previously that retinal pulse wave velocity (rPWV) as a measure of retinal arterial stiffness is increased in aged anamnesticaly healthy volunteers compared to young healthy subjects. Using novel methodology of rPWV assessment we confirmed this finding and investigated whether it might relate to the increased blood pressure usually accompanying aging process, rather than to the aging itself.

Methods: : 12 young 25.5(24.0-28.8) [median(1.quartile-3.quartile)] years old and 12 senior 68.5(63.8-71.8) years old anamnesticaly healthy volunteers as well as 12 young 33.0(29.5-35.0) years old mildly hypertensive patients were examined. Time dependent alterations of vessel diameter were assessed by the Dynamic Vessel Analyzer (IMEDOS Systems, Jena, Germany) in a segment of a retinal artery. The data was filtered and evaluated by methods of mathematical signal analysis and rPWVs were calculated.

Results: : Mean arterial pressure (MAP) differs between the young subgroup (93(89-97) mmHg) and other subgroups (p<0.05): seniors: 100(94-109) mmHg; hypertensive subjects: 107(105-109) mmHg. rPWV amounted to 516(346-622) RU(relative units)/s in the young subgroup and was significantly lower than in both other subgroups (p<0.01): seniors: 1295(881-2793) RU/s; hypertensive subjects: 1504(1235-1840) RU/s. rPWV associated both with age and MAP in the whole pooled group. In a regression model these associations remain when alternately adjusted for MAP and age respectively.

Conclusions: : Our results show that both aging with not excluded cardiovascular risk factors and mild hypertension are associated with increased rPWV. Interestingly rPWV increases to the similar extent in young mildly hypertensive subjects and in aged anamnesticaly healthy persons. Whether healthy aging process is also associated with increased rPWV needs to be elucidated.

Keywords: aging • imaging/image analysis: clinical • blood supply