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Factors associated with changes in retinal microcirculation after antihypertensive treatment

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 28, pages 310–315 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

We report the results of hypertensive treatment over retinal arteriole narrowing in a group of 189 hypertensive patients during a 6-month treatment programme for hypertension. These patients were included in an observational study under clinical practice conditions and analysed using digital photographs of the eye fundus with a previously described semiautomatic snakes method. We analysed the relation between blood pressure control and retinal microcirculation changes during the treatment. We included 189 hypertensive patients; 74.0% of them had BP under control after 6 months of follow-up. The arteriovenous ratio (AVR), measured as the relation between the average retinal arteriole and venous diameter, significantly increased after 6 months of follow-up in both eyes (right eye AVR: 0.769±0.065 vs 0.799±0.066 (P<0.0001); left eye AVR: 0.770±0.065 vs 0.796±0.071 (P<0.0001)). AVR changes were caused by increases in arteriole diameter. No linear correlation was found between blood pressure-lowering levels and AVR increase, suggesting that other factors could be involved in the regression of retinal changes. We conclude that in our group of hypertensive patients it was possible to increase the retinal arteriole diameter, expressing an improvement in retinal microcirculation after 6 months of adequate BP control. Although there is an inverse tendency between blood pressure and arteriovenous ratio changes, we could not find a linear correlation between these changes.

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Acknowledgements

This study was partly financed by Project ETES-FIS 08/90459 of the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS); by the Spanish Ministry of Science & Innovation; and by Project PS08/05 of the Department of Health of the Xunta de Galicia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Conxo Medicine Deparment, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    P-R Antonio & P-S Marta

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Abente y Lago, ACoruña, Spain

    D D J Luís

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Barbanza, Ribeira, Spain

    D P J Antonio

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital San Rafael, A Coruña, Spain

    S T Manuel

  5. Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Lucus Augusti, Lugo, Spain

    M S Rafael

  6. Department of Electronics and Computation (Artificial Vision Group) University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain

    G V Sonia & G P Manuel

  7. Department of Econometrics, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    M-N Isabel & E N J Carlos

  8. Assistance Healthcare Institute Anglès, Girona, Spain

    C-d-T Gabriel

  9. Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital de Conxo, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    G-UI Francisco

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  1. P-R Antonio
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Correspondence to P-R Antonio.

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Antonio, PR., Marta, PS., Luís, D. et al. Factors associated with changes in retinal microcirculation after antihypertensive treatment. J Hum Hypertens 28, 310–315 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2013.108

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2013.108

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