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Are retinal microvascular caliber changes associated with severity of coronary artery disease in symptomatic cardiac patients?

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kreis, AJ; Nguyen, TT; Wang, JJ; Rogers, S; Al-Fiadh, A; Freeman, M; Wong, TY; Farouque, HMO
Published in: Microcirculation
February 2009

OBJECTIVES: Recent population-based studies have shown that retinal vascular caliber may predict the risk of clinical coronary artery disease (CAD) events. Whether this association is related to macro- or microvascular mechanisms remains unknown. We investigated the relationship of retinal vascular caliber with severity and extent of CAD in symptomatic cardiac patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Overall, 98 patients attending diagnostic coronary angiography were recruited. Coronary angiography was used to assess for the severity and extent of CAD. Digital retinal photography was performed immediately prior to cardiac catheterization, and retinal vascular caliber was measured from these photographs by using a computer program and summarized as central retinal arteriolar (CRAE) and venular (CRVE) equivalents. RESULTS: Retinal arteriolar and venular calibers were not associated with increasing severity of CAD, as assessed by Leaman scores (CRAE/CRVE: P for trend=0.17/0.57), presence of clinically significant CAD (CRAE/CRVE: P=0.35/0.32), or number of diseased vessels (CRAE/CRVE: P for trend=0.18/0.69). CONCLUSIONS: Retinal vascular caliber changes are not associated with the severity of obstructive CAD in symptomatic patients. These data suggest that the association of retinal vascular caliber with clinical CAD seen in epidemiological studies may not be applicable to clinical symptomatic patients and may be related to microvascular, rather than macrovascular, mechanisms.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Microcirculation

DOI

EISSN

1549-8719

Publication Date

February 2009

Volume

16

Issue

2

Start / End Page

177 / 181

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Venules
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Retina
  • Middle Aged
  • Microcirculation
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Coronary Artery Disease
  • Coronary Angiography
 

Citation

APA
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ICMJE
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Kreis, A. J., Nguyen, T. T., Wang, J. J., Rogers, S., Al-Fiadh, A., Freeman, M., … Farouque, H. M. O. (2009). Are retinal microvascular caliber changes associated with severity of coronary artery disease in symptomatic cardiac patients? Microcirculation, 16(2), 177–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/10739680802458980
Kreis, Andreas Josef, Thanh Tan Nguyen, Jie Jin Wang, Sophie Rogers, Ali Al-Fiadh, Melanie Freeman, Tien Yin Wong, and HM Omar Farouque. “Are retinal microvascular caliber changes associated with severity of coronary artery disease in symptomatic cardiac patients?Microcirculation 16, no. 2 (February 2009): 177–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/10739680802458980.
Kreis AJ, Nguyen TT, Wang JJ, Rogers S, Al-Fiadh A, Freeman M, et al. Are retinal microvascular caliber changes associated with severity of coronary artery disease in symptomatic cardiac patients? Microcirculation. 2009 Feb;16(2):177–81.
Kreis, Andreas Josef, et al. “Are retinal microvascular caliber changes associated with severity of coronary artery disease in symptomatic cardiac patients?Microcirculation, vol. 16, no. 2, Feb. 2009, pp. 177–81. Pubmed, doi:10.1080/10739680802458980.
Kreis AJ, Nguyen TT, Wang JJ, Rogers S, Al-Fiadh A, Freeman M, Wong TY, Farouque HMO. Are retinal microvascular caliber changes associated with severity of coronary artery disease in symptomatic cardiac patients? Microcirculation. 2009 Feb;16(2):177–181.
Journal cover image

Published In

Microcirculation

DOI

EISSN

1549-8719

Publication Date

February 2009

Volume

16

Issue

2

Start / End Page

177 / 181

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Venules
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Retina
  • Middle Aged
  • Microcirculation
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Coronary Artery Disease
  • Coronary Angiography