Eye exam may foresee hypertension.A thorough eye exam may predict future hypertension, according to new research reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association American Heart Association (AHA), n.pr a national voluntary health agency that has the goal of increasing public and medical awareness of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, and thereby reducing the number of associated deaths and disabilities. . Tiny vessels called arterioles Arterioles Small blood vessels that carry arterial (oxygenated) blood. Mentioned in: Retinal Artery Occlusion arterioles, n that supply blood to the retina appear to narrow before blood pressure exceeds normal ranges, said study coauthor Paul Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and director of the Centre for Vision Research at the University of Sydney The University of Sydney, established in Sydney in 1850, is the oldest university in Australia. It is a member of Australia's "Group of Eight" Australian universities that are highly ranked in terms of their research performance. and Westmead Hospital, New South Wales New South Wales, state (1991 pop. 5,164,549), 309,443 sq mi (801,457 sq km), SE Australia. It is bounded on the E by the Pacific Ocean. Sydney is the capital. The other principal urban centers are Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, Lismore, Wollongong, and Broken Hill. , Australia. In the study, people with relatively narrowed retinal arterioles were twice as likely to develop severe hypertension in five years compared to people with wider blood vessels Blood vessels Tubular channels for blood transport, of which there are three principal types: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Only the larger arteries and veins in the body bear distinct names. . "These retinal signs appear to predict development of severe hypertension independent of other risk factors such as age, gender, body mass index, smoking, blood glucose levels, and blood pressure status at baseline," Mitchell said. "This suggests that the risk associated with narrowed retinal arterioles adds to the risk associated with previous high blood pressure. For example, we already know that high normal blood pressure (prehypertension) or mild hypertension predicts later development of severe hypertension. At the same level of blood pressure, arteriolar narrowing arteriolar narrowing Atherosclerosis, see there signifies further risk." Mitchell and colleagues used special cameras to photograph the retinas of 3,654 Sydney residents who enrolled in the Blue Mountains Eye Study and to document changes in the walls of retinal vessels. Study participants, 82 percent of whom were 49 or older, were recruited from 1992 to 1994. While the changes in retinal arterioles predicted hypertension regardless of age, "the association was even stronger among patients younger than age 65," he said. The study results confirm findings of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC ARIC Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (Study) ARIC Asia Recovery Information Center ARIC Alliance for Rational Intercarrier Compensation ARIC Appliance Recycling Information Center ARIC Acid Rain Information Clearinghouse ) study that found retinal changes predicted new-onset hypertension within three years. These findings suggest that microvascular changes, visible in the eye, may precede development of severe hypertension. Structural signs could be a more stable measure of risk than functional measures like blood pressure, which often vary over time. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion