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Body mass index and its effects on retinal vessel diameter in 6-year-old children

International Journal of Obesity volume 31, pages 1527–1533 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose:

To examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and other anthropometric measures with retinal vessel diameter in children.

Methods:

A random cluster sample of 34 schools was selected in the Sydney metropolitan area during 2003–04, and 1740 children aged 6 years participated in The Sydney Childhood Eye Study. Retinal images were taken and vessel diameter was measured using a computer-imaging program. Anthropometric measures, including weight, height, waist circumference, BMI and body surface area (BSA), were obtained and defined using standardized protocols. Data on confounders, including ocular parameters, ethnicity, birth parameters and blood pressure, were similarly collected.

Results:

Mean BMI was 16.2 kg/m2 (±2.1 s.d.) in 1608 (92.4%) children with complete data. After controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, axial length of the eyeball, birth weight and mean arterial blood pressure, children with BMI above the cardiovascular risk threshold (defined as BMI>16.1 kg/m2 in boys and BMI>15.9 kg/m2 in girls) had mean retinal venular diameter 2.1 μm larger than those with BMI below this threshold (P=0.026). Increasing weight and BSA were also positively associated with wider retinal venules. Children in the highest quartile of BMI had mean retinal arteriolar diameter 2.2 μm smaller than those in the lowest quartile. Increasing waist circumference and shorter height were also associated with narrower retinal arterioles.

Conclusions:

In this sample of 6-year-old children, greater BMI, weight and BSA were associated with wider retinal venules, while greater BMI and larger waist circumference were associated with narrower retinal arterioles. These findings suggest a possible effect of increased body mass and adiposity on early microvascular structural alterations in childhood, long before the development of cardiovascular disease.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Health & Medical Research Council, Australia, Grant ID 253732 (PM). We thank Kathy Rose for coordinating this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Centre for Vision Research, Westmead Millennium Institute, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    B Taylor, E Rochtchina, J J Wang & P Mitchell

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    T Y Wong

  3. Singapore Eye Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    T Y Wong & S M Saw

  4. Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    S Heikal

  5. Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    S M Saw

Authors
  1. B Taylor
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  2. E Rochtchina
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  4. T Y Wong
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  5. S Heikal
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  6. S M Saw
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  7. P Mitchell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J J Wang.

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Taylor, B., Rochtchina, E., Wang, J. et al. Body mass index and its effects on retinal vessel diameter in 6-year-old children. Int J Obes 31, 1527–1533 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803674

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803674

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