Retinal vascular caliber associated with cardiac and renal target organ damage in never-treated hypertensive patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between retinal vascular caliber and target organ damage in HT patients.
Methods: Data were collected on cardiac, renal, vascular, and retinal variables in 88 consecutive never-treated HT subjects. Retinal vascular calibers were measured from fundus photographs by using a semi-automated computer-assisted program and summarized as CRAE and CRVE.
Results: Mean CRAE and CRVE were significantly lower in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (left ventricular mass ≥110 g/m² for women, 125 g/m² for men) than in those with normal left ventricular (CRAE: 129.4±3.7 vs 138.2±2.3 μm; P=.04; CRVE: 195.6±4.4 vs 209.8±2.7 μm; P=.008). CRAE and CRVE were negatively correlated with urinary albumin excretion (β±SE=-15.4±3.2, P<.0001 and β±SE=-11.9±4.4, P=.001, respectively) but were not correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (P=.21 and P=.75, respectively), carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (P=.24 and P=.14), or carotid augmentation index (P=.43 and P=.16).
Conclusion: In never-treated HT patients, reduced CRAE and CRVE were associated with cardiac and renal preclinical damage, ie, left ventricular hypertrophy and albuminuria, but not estimated glomerular filtration rate or vascular stiffness.
(© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)