Retinal arteriolar narrowing predicts 5-year risk of hypertension in Japanese people: the Funagata study.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether retinal arteriolar narrowing, possibly reflecting peripheral arteriolar vasoconstriction, predicts risk of hypertension in Japanese persons.

METHODS

The Funagata study is a population-based cohort study of Japanese aged 35+ years. Baseline examinations were conducted in 2000-2002 among 1058 persons without hypertension. Of these, 581 persons (55%) returned for a 5-year follow-up examination, with data on 563 available for analyses. Retinal photographs taken at the baseline visits were assessed for retinal arteriolar or venular diameter and retinal vessel wall signs using standardized protocols. Hypertension was defined if systolic blood pressure > or =140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure > or =90 mmHg or from self-reported clinical diagnosis, including the use of antihypertensive medications. Incident hypertension was defined as an absence of hypertension at baseline but presence of hypertension at the follow-up visit.

RESULTS

One hundred ninety-three subjects (34.3%) had developed hypertension at 5-year follow-up. After adjusting for age, gender, baseline blood pressure and other risk factors, narrower retinal arterioles at baseline was significantly associated with an increased risk of incident hypertension (odds ratio per standard deviation decrease in arteriolar diameter: 1.53, 95% confidence interval: 1.08-2.18).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support the concept that arteriolar narrowing, evident in the retina, signals an increased risk of developing hypertension in Japanese persons.