Evaluation of Arterial Stiffness in Patients with Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion

Vol. 219, No. 6, 2005

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Original Paper

Evaluation of Arterial Stiffness in Patients with Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion
Keiko Nakazato^a, Hideki Watanabe^b, Keisuke Kawana^c, Takahiro Hiraoka^c, Takahiro Kiuchi^c, Tetsuro Oshika^c

Divisions of
^aOphthalmology and
^bInternal Medicine, Kinu Medical Association Hospital, Mitsukaido, and
^cDepartment of Ophthalmology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

Address of Corresponding Author

Ophthalmologica 2005;219:334-337 (DOI: 10.1159/000088374)

Key Words

Arterial stiffness
Arteriosclerosis
Branch retinal vein occlusion
Pulse wave velocity
Ankle-brachial index

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the arterial stiffness in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). Methods: Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ankle-brachial index were measured in 10 patients with BRVO (mean age 67.9 ± 7.5 years) and in 18 age-matched controls (mean age 66.9 ± 6.8 years). The controls were subjects with systemic essential hypertension having no retinal lesions. Results: The PWV in the BRVO group was 1,946 ± 254 cm/s which was significantly higher than that in the control group (1,688 ± 274 cm/s; p = 0.014, Wilcoxon rank sum test). The ankle-brachial indexes were 1.16 and 1.15 in BRVO and control groups, respectively. There was no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.944). In the control group, there was a significant positive correlation between PWV and systolic blood pressure (Spearman correlation coefficient r_s = 0.385, p = 0.043), while no significant correlation was found in the BRVO group (Spearman correlation coefficient r_s = -0.188, p = 0.603). Conclusion: The arterial stiffness is increased in patients with BRVO which was thought to be due to the structural changes of the artery and not dependent on the blood pressure.

Author Contacts

Tetsuro Oshika, MD
Department of Ophthalmology
Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai
Tsukuba 305-8575 (Japan)
Tel./Fax +81 29 853 3148, E-Mail toshika@md.tsukuba.ac.jp

Article Information

Received: August 25, 2004
Accepted after revision: December 30, 2004
Number of Print Pages : 4
Number of Figures : 1, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 26

Medline Abstract (ID 16286791)

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