Association of Neuroretinal Thinning and Microvascular Changes with Hypertension in an Older Population in Southern Italy



Niro, Alfredo, Sborgia, Giancarlo, Lampignano, Luisa, Giuliani, Gianluigi, Castellana, Fabio, Zupo, Roberta, Bortone, Ilaria, Puzo, Pasquale, Pascale, Angelo, Pastore, Valentina
et al (show 12 more authors) (2022) Association of Neuroretinal Thinning and Microvascular Changes with Hypertension in an Older Population in Southern Italy. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE, 11 (2). 1098-.

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Abstract

<h4>Background</h4>Retinal microvasculature assessment at capillary level may potentially aid the evaluation of early microvascular changes due to hypertension. We aimed to investigate associations between the measures obtained using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT-angiography (OCT-A) and hypertension, in a southern Italian older population.<h4>Methods</h4>We performed a cross-sectional analysis from a population-based study on 731 participants aged 65 years+ subdivided into two groups according to the presence or absence of blood hypertension without hypertensive retinopathy. The average thickness of the ganglion cell complex (GCC) and the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) were measured. The foveal avascular zone area, vascular density (VD) at the macular site and of the optic nerve head (ONH) and radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) plexi were evaluated. Logistic regression was applied to assess the association of ocular measurements with hypertension.<h4>Results</h4>GCC thickness was inversely associated with hypertension (odds ratio (OR): 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.97-1). A rarefaction of VD of the ONH plexus at the inferior temporal sector (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-0.99) and, conversely, a higher VD of the ONH and RPC plexi inside optic disc (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.04-1.10; OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.06, respectively) were significantly associated with hypertension.<h4>Conclusion</h4>A neuroretinal thinning involving GCC and a change in capillary density at the peripapillary network were related to the hypertension in older patients without hypertensive retinopathy. Assessing peripapillary retinal microvasculature using OCT-A may be a useful non-invasive approach to detect early microvascular changes due to hypertension.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: hypertension, older adults, optical coherence tomography, optical coherence tomography angiography, ganglion cell complex, optic nerve head, radial peripapillary capillary
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Life Courses and Medical Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 20 May 2022 13:38
Last Modified: 13 Feb 2024 20:29
DOI: 10.3390/jcm11041098
Open Access URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/4/1098
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URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3155221