Artery Research

Volume 8, Issue 2, June 2014, Pages 35 - 43

Central vs. peripheral blood pressure components as determinants of retinal microvessel diameters

Authors
Yu-Mei Gua, f, Yan-Ping Liua, f, Lutgarde Thijsa, Tatiana Kuznetsovaa, Fang-Fei Weia, b, Harry A.J. Struijker-Boudierc, Peter Verhammed, Jan A. Staessena, e, *
aStudies Coordinating Centre, Research Unit Hypertension and Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
bCenter for Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials and Center for Vascular Evaluation, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
cDepartment of Pharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
dResearch Unit Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
eDepartment of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
f

Contributed equally to this work.

*Corresponding author. Research Unit Hypertension and Cardiovascular Epidemiology, KU Leuven Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35, Box 7001, BE-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Tel.: +31 43 3388 2374 (office), +32 15 41 1747 (home), +32 47 632 4928 (mobile); fax: +32 43 388 4128 (office), +32 15 41 4542 (home). E-mail addresses: jan.staessen@maastrichtuniversity.nl, jan.staessen@med.kuleuven.be (J.A. Staessen).
Corresponding Author
Jan A. Staessen
Received 4 December 2013, Revised 8 January 2014, Accepted 13 January 2014, Available Online 8 February 2014.
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2014.01.004How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Central blood pressure; Microcirculation; Retina; Peripheral blood pressure; Arterioles; Venules
Abstract

Background: We assessed association of retinal arteriolar and venular diameters with central and peripheral blood pressure (BP).

Methods: We post-processed retinal photographs from 514 participants randomly recruited from a Flemish population (mean age, 50.6 years; 50.8% women), using IVAN software to generate retinal arteriolar (CRAE) and venular (CRVE) equivalents. We measured peripheral BP by mercury sphygmomanometry and central BP by tonometry at the carotid artery. We applied multivariable-adjusted regression analysis.

Results: For peripheral vs. central BP (mmHg) average levels were 126.6 vs. 122.1 systolic and 79.4 vs. 79.6 diastolic, and 95.1 vs. 97.9 and 47.2 vs. 42.5 for mean and pulse pressure, respectively. CRAE and CRVE averaged 153 μm and 219 μm. Effect sizes (μm) for CRAE for 1 − SD increase in peripheral vs. central BP were −3.77 vs. −3.52 systolic, −3.16 vs. −3.13 diastolic, −3.84 vs. −3.64 for mean BP, and −2.07 vs. −1.83 for pulse pressure (p ≤ 0.006). Models that included two BP components demonstrated that CRAE decreased (p ≤ 0.035) with systolic (peripheral vs. central, −2.87 vs. −2.40) and diastolic (−1.58 vs. −1.80) BP. CRAE decreased with mean BP (−3.53 vs. −3.53; p < 0.0001), but not with pulse pressure (p ≥ 0.19). CRVE was not related to any peripheral or central BP component (p ≥ 0.062). All CRAE regression slopes on corresponding peripheral and central BP components were similar (p ≥ 0.28).

Conclusion: Higher systolic, diastolic and mean BPs were associated with smaller CRAE, regardless of whether BP was measured centrally or peripherally. Central BP does not refine the inverse association of CRAE and CRVE with peripheral BP.

Copyright
© 2014 Association for Research into Arterial Structure and Physiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

Download article (PDF)
View full text (HTML)

Journal
Artery Research
Volume-Issue
8 - 2
Pages
35 - 43
Publication Date
2014/02/08
ISSN (Online)
1876-4401
ISSN (Print)
1872-9312
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2014.01.004How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2014 Association for Research into Arterial Structure and Physiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

Cite this article

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Yu-Mei Gu
AU  - Yan-Ping Liu
AU  - Lutgarde Thijs
AU  - Tatiana Kuznetsova
AU  - Fang-Fei Wei
AU  - Harry A.J. Struijker-Boudier
AU  - Peter Verhamme
AU  - Jan A. Staessen
PY  - 2014
DA  - 2014/02/08
TI  - Central vs. peripheral blood pressure components as determinants of retinal microvessel diameters
JO  - Artery Research
SP  - 35
EP  - 43
VL  - 8
IS  - 2
SN  - 1876-4401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2014.01.004
DO  - 10.1016/j.artres.2014.01.004
ID  - Gu2014
ER  -