Association of OCT Angiography Parameters With Age in Cognitively Healthy Older Adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of changes in retinal anatomy and microvasculature with age and sex in cognitively healthy older adults. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study of cognitively healthy subjects aged 50 years and older who underwent optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to estimate the association between age and sex with ganglion cell layer-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL); central subfield thickness (CST); subfoveal choroidal thickness (CT); foveal avascular zone (FAZ) size; and superficial (SCP), deep (DCP), and whole capillary plexus (WCP) vessel density (VD) and perfusion density (PD) measured in the ETDRS 3-mm and 6-mm circle and rings. RESULTS: Among 141 older adults (72.9% female; median age: 69 years), 282 eyes were imaged. Females had a greater CT, GC-IPL thickness, and FAZ size and a lower CST than males. After controlling for sex, both CT (P = .001) and GC-IPL thickness (P < .001) decreased with age, whereas FAZ size and CST did not. There was a reduction in VD and PD in SCP, DCP, and WCP with age in the 3-mm circle, 3-mm ring, and 6-mm circle (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant reduction in both VD and PD, as well as decreased choroidal and GC-IPL thickness associated with aging, even beyond the fifth decade, in cognitively healthy adults. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2020;51:706-714.].

Duke Scholars

Author James Robert Burke Neurology, Behavioral Neurology

Author Dilraj Singh Grewal Ophthalmology, Vitreoretinal Diseases & Surgery

Author Sharon Fekrat Ophthalmology, Vitreoretinal Diseases & Surgery