Abstract
Purpose :
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulate with age in blood vessels throughout the body and adversely affect endothelial function and vascular elasticity. Accumulation of AGEs has been linked to a number of vascular disease states. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between AGE levels and retinal vessel calibres in healthy adults.
Methods :
Central retinal artery equivalent (CRAE) and central retinal vein equivalent (CRVE) diameters were analysed in a group of 64 healthy participants (mean age, 61.7 ± 9.4 years) using the VesselMap2 software (Imedos Systems UG, Jena, Germany). CRAE and CRVE were compared to skin autofluorescence (SAF), a validated measure of tissue-bound AGE levels (AGE Reader, DiagnOptics B.V., Groningen, The Netherlands). Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure were recorded as potential covariates.
Results :
There was a moderate negative correlation between CRAE and SAF (r = -0.28, 95% confidence interval -0.04 to -0.49, p = 0.03). The association between CRAE and SAF was further assessed with stepwise multiple regression analysis and remained substantial (R2 = 0.35, p = 0.02) after adjusting for age and BMI. No significant correlation was found between CRVE and SAF (r = 0.15 p = 0.22).
Conclusions :
Higher levels of tissue-bound AGE levels appear to be associated with narrower retinal arteries in a healthy population. These findings add to the evidence that AGEs are an accessible marker of vascular health. Further research is needed to explore the association between AGEs and retinal vascular function in health and disease.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.