December 2002
Volume 43, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   December 2002
Generalized Retinal Arteriolar Narrowing Predicts 5-year Cardio-vascular and Cerebro-vascular Mortality: Findings from the Blue Mountains Eye Study
JJ Wang; P Mitchell; LM Sherry; W Smith; TY Wong; R Klein; LD Hubbard; SR Leeder
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • JJ Wang
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Sydney (Centre for Vision Research Westmead Hospital) Westmead Australia
  • P Mitchell
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Sydney (Centre for Vision Research Westmead Hospital) Westmead Australia
  • LM Sherry
    Department of Ophthalmology University of Sydney (Centre for Vision Research Westmead Hospital) Westmead Australia
  • W Smith
    Natinal Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Australian National University Canberra Australia
  • TY Wong
    Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison WI
  • R Klein
    Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison WI
  • LD Hubbard
    Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison WI
  • SR Leeder
    Faculty of Medicine University of Sydney Sydney Australia
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   J.J. Wang, None; P. Mitchell, None; L.M. Sherry, None; W. Smith, None; T.Y. Wong, None; R. Klein, None; L.D. Hubbard, None; S.R. Leeder, None. Grant Identification: Australia NHMRC Grant 153948; USA NIH EY06594, HL59259
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science December 2002, Vol.43, 4396. doi:
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      JJ Wang, P Mitchell, LM Sherry, W Smith, TY Wong, R Klein, LD Hubbard, SR Leeder; Generalized Retinal Arteriolar Narrowing Predicts 5-year Cardio-vascular and Cerebro-vascular Mortality: Findings from the Blue Mountains Eye Study . Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2002;43(13):4396.

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Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose:Coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke represent the first and third most frequent causes of death. Developing effective screening measures for persons at high risk of these events is an important public health goal. Preliminary data from the Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) suggested that manually graded focal retinal microvascular abnormalities were associated with subsequent stroke. In the current study, we aimed to assess whether generalized arteriolar narrowing predicts 5-year CHD or stroke mortality in a random subsample (n=1500) of the BMES population. Methods:Participants (n=3654, aged 49+ years) in baseline examinations of the BMES (1992-94) were re-examined during 1997-99. Retinal photographs of right eyes in each participant were digitized and the diameters of all retinal arterioles and venules passing through a circumferential zone 0.5 to 1.0 disc diameters from the optic disc margin were measured objectively using a computer-based program. A summarized estimate for central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE) represents an average diameter of the arterioles. Deaths and causes of death were obtained from Australian National Death Index. Results:Retinal photographs gradable for retinal vessel diameter were obtained in 1402/1500 random participants. At the time follow-up data were censored, 106 cardiovascular-related deaths (CHD or stroke) and 8 incident surviving stroke cases were confirmed. The age-adjusted relative risk (RR) for cardiovascular-related death was 2.3 (95% CI 1.2-4.4) for the lowest (narrowest) compared with highest quintiles of CRAE. After adjusting for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, smoking, self-rated health and diabetes, the RR for cardiovascular-related death was 2.2 (95% CI 1.0-4.7) for the lowest compared with highest quintiles, and the RR for either cardiovascular-related death or incident stroke was 2.4 (95% CI 1.1-5.2). Conclusion:These findings suggest that generalized retinal arteriolar narrowing predicts cardiovascular events, independently of blood pressure and other known vascular risk factors.

Keywords: 355 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment • 554 retina • 353 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications 
© 2002, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc., all rights reserved. Permission to republish any abstract or part of an abstract in any form must be obtained in writing from the ARVO Office prior to publication.
Copyright © 2025 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
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