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Retinal arteriolar changes: intermediate pathways linking early life exposures to cardiovascular disease?

Publication ,  Journal Article
Sasongko, MB; Wong, TY; Wang, JJ
Published in: Microcirculation
January 2010

Low birth weight is an indicator of exposure to unfavorable fetal environment and has been associated with the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. There is now growing evidence suggesting that alterations in the microcirculation associated with exposure to a suboptimal in utero environment play a key role in the development of cardiovascular disease. Proposed hypothetical mechanisms include: fetal circulatory redistribution, impaired synthesis of elastin, and endothelial dysfunction in response to antenatal and postnatal environment. More recent studies have shown associations of low birth weight with capillary rarefaction and narrowing retinal arteriolar caliber in both children and adults. This suggests that vascular adaptations in utero persist into maladaptive circulatory changes in adulthood, which may reflect an increased susceptibility to hypertension and cardiovascular disease later in life. Therefore, the association between low birth weight and narrower retinal arteriolar caliber, together with associations between narrower retinal arteriolar caliber and risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, suggest that retinal arteriolar narrowing may be a marker on the microvascular pathway and mechanisms linking early life exposures and subsequent cardiovascular disease.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Microcirculation

DOI

EISSN

1549-8719

Publication Date

January 2010

Volume

17

Issue

1

Start / End Page

21 / 31

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Risk Factors
  • Retinal Vessels
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
  • Pregnancy
  • Models, Cardiovascular
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Low Birth Weight
  • Hypertension
  • Humans
  • Female
 

Citation

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MLA
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Sasongko, M. B., Wong, T. Y., & Wang, J. J. (2010). Retinal arteriolar changes: intermediate pathways linking early life exposures to cardiovascular disease? Microcirculation, 17(1), 21–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1549-8719.2009.00007.x
Sasongko, Muhammad Bayu, Tien Yin Wong, and Jie Jin Wang. “Retinal arteriolar changes: intermediate pathways linking early life exposures to cardiovascular disease?Microcirculation 17, no. 1 (January 2010): 21–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1549-8719.2009.00007.x.
Sasongko MB, Wong TY, Wang JJ. Retinal arteriolar changes: intermediate pathways linking early life exposures to cardiovascular disease? Microcirculation. 2010 Jan;17(1):21–31.
Sasongko, Muhammad Bayu, et al. “Retinal arteriolar changes: intermediate pathways linking early life exposures to cardiovascular disease?Microcirculation, vol. 17, no. 1, Jan. 2010, pp. 21–31. Pubmed, doi:10.1111/j.1549-8719.2009.00007.x.
Sasongko MB, Wong TY, Wang JJ. Retinal arteriolar changes: intermediate pathways linking early life exposures to cardiovascular disease? Microcirculation. 2010 Jan;17(1):21–31.
Journal cover image

Published In

Microcirculation

DOI

EISSN

1549-8719

Publication Date

January 2010

Volume

17

Issue

1

Start / End Page

21 / 31

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Risk Factors
  • Retinal Vessels
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
  • Pregnancy
  • Models, Cardiovascular
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Low Birth Weight
  • Hypertension
  • Humans
  • Female