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Meta-analysis: retinal vessel caliber and risk for coronary heart disease.

TitleMeta-analysis: retinal vessel caliber and risk for coronary heart disease.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsMcGeechan, K, Liew, G, Macaskill, P, Irwig, L, Klein, R, Klein, BEK, Wang, JJin, Mitchell, P, Vingerling, JR, Dejong, PTVM, Witteman, JCM, Breteler, MMB, Shaw, J, Zimmet, P, Wong, TY
JournalAnn Intern Med
Volume151
Issue6
Pagination404-13
Date Published2009 Sep 15
ISSN1539-3704
KeywordsAdult, Aged, Arterioles, Biomarkers, Coronary Disease, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Proportional Hazards Models, Retinal Vessels, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Venules
Abstract<p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>Retinal vessel caliber may be a novel marker of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. However, the sex-specific effect, magnitude of association, and effect independent of traditional CHD disease risk factors remain unclear.</p><p><b>PURPOSE: </b>To determine the association between retinal vessel caliber and risk for CHD.</p><p><b>DATA SOURCES: </b>Relevant studies in any language identified through MEDLINE (1950 to June 2009) and EMBASE (1950 to June 2009) databases.</p><p><b>STUDY SELECTION: </b>Studies were included if they examined a general population, measured retinal vessel caliber from retinal photographs, and documented CHD risk factors and incident CHD events.</p><p><b>DATA EXTRACTION: </b>6 population-based prospective cohort studies provided data for individual participant meta-analysis.</p><p><b>DATA SYNTHESIS: </b>Proportional hazards models, adjusted for traditional CHD risk factors, were constructed for retinal vessel caliber and incident CHD in women and men. Among 22,159 participants who were free of CHD and followed for 5 to 14 years, 2219 (10.0%) incident CHD events occurred. Retinal vessel caliber changes (wider venules and narrower arterioles) were each associated with an increased risk for CHD in women (pooled multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.06 to 1.26] per 20-microm increase in venular caliber and 1.17 [CI, 1.07 to 1.28] per 20-microm decrease in arteriolar caliber) but not in men (1.02 [CI, 0.94 to 1.10] per 20-microm increase in venular caliber and 1.02 [CI, 0.95 to 1.10] per 20-microm decrease in arteriolar caliber). Women without hypertension or diabetes had higher hazard ratios.</p><p><b>LIMITATION: </b>Error in the measurement of retinal vessel caliber and Framingham variables was not taken into account.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION: </b>Retinal vessel caliber changes were independently associated with an increased risk for CHD events in women.</p>
Alternate JournalAnn. Intern. Med.
PubMed ID19755365
PubMed Central IDPMC2887687
Grant ListN01HC55020 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC55018 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
U01 HL080295 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-55022 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC015103 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-55016 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
U01 HL080295-01 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC55022 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC55222 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-55021 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-85086 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC55015 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85086 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC-55222 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-55019 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-55015 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-75150 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-55020 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC55016 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC55019 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC75150 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-85079 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC85079 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-55018 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01HC55021 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC045133 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01 HC035129 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States