April 2010
Volume 51, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   April 2010
Retinal Vascular Tortuosity and Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Singapore Malay Study
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • C. M. Cheung
    Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
  • C. Y. L. Cheung
    Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
  • E. Y. Liu
    Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
  • P. Mitchell
    Ophthalmology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  • J. J. Wang
    Ophthalmology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
    Centre for Eye Research, Melbourne, Australia
  • H. B. Hamzah
    Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
  • A. Tin
    Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
    Yong Loo Lin Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
  • T. Y. Wong
    Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
    Centre for Eye Research, Melbourne, Australia
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships  C.M. Cheung, None; C.Y.L. Cheung, None; E.Y. Liu, None; P. Mitchell, None; J.J. Wang, None; H.B. Hamzah, None; A. Tin, None; T.Y. Wong, None.
  • Footnotes
    Support  National Medical Research Council (NMRC) 0796/2003 and IRG07nov013, Singapore
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science April 2010, Vol.51, 4544. doi:
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      C. M. Cheung, C. Y. L. Cheung, E. Y. Liu, P. Mitchell, J. J. Wang, H. B. Hamzah, A. Tin, T. Y. Wong; Retinal Vascular Tortuosity and Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Singapore Malay Study. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2010;51(13):4544.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Purpose: : To determine whether retinal vascular tortuosity associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: : The Singapore Malay Eye Study (SiMES) is a population-based eye survey including 3,280 (78.7% response) persons aged 40 to 80 years. Retinal vascular tortuosity was measured quantitatively from digital photographs using a computer-assisted program. Retinal vascular tortuosity was derived as the integral of the curvature square along the path of the vessel then normalized by the total path length. Arteriolar and venular tortuosity measures were analyzed separately. Measurements from right eyes were used, unless the parameter studied was ungradable, when left eye measurements were used. Early and late AMD signs were graded from retinal photographs at a central reading centre using the modified Wisconsin AMD scale. Data on major cardiovascular risk factors and blood pressure were self-reported.

Results: : Of the 3,280 participants, 2,904 had photographs that were gradable for both AMD and retinal vascular tortuosity. AMD was present in 157 subjects (142 with early and 15 with late AMD). After adjusting for age and gender, eyes with increased retinal venular tortuosity (0.029 vs 0.027, p=0.011) were more likely to have early AMD signs. This association remained significant after further adjustment for systolic blood pressure, current smoking, hypertension, diabetes, HbA1c, and retinal arteriolar caliber (0.030 vs 0.028, p=0.027). Arteriolar tortuosity was not associated with AMD.

Conclusions: : Increased retinal venular tortuosity was associated with AMD prevalence. These data suggest that at early AMD stage, subtle changes in retinal vascular geometry may be present.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • image processing • retina 
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