Retinal Arteriolar Narrowing and Left Ventricular Remodeling

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2007-07, Vol.50 (1), p.48-55
• Main Authors: Cheung, Ning, MBBS, Bluemke, David A., MD, PhD, Klein, Ronald, MD, MPH, Sharrett, A. Richey, MD, DrPH, Islam, F.M. Amirul, PhD, Cotch, Mary Frances, PhD, Klein, Barbara E.K., MD, MPH, Criqui, Michael H., MD, MPH, Wong, Tien Yin, MD, PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cardiovascular; Internal Medicine
• ISSN: 0735-1097; 1558-3597
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2007.03.029

Retinal Arteriolar Narrowing and Left Ventricular Remodeling: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Ning Cheung, David A. Bluemke, Ronald Klein, A. Richey Sharrett, F. M. Amirul Islam, Mary Frances Cotch, Barbara E. K. Klein, Michael H. Criqui, Tien Yin Wong Microvascular disease, reflected as retinopathy lesions, has been shown to predict clinical congestive heart failure. Whether retinal vascular signs are related to early structural changes in the heart is unclear. In our study of a multiethnic, population-based cohort without clinical cardiovascular disease, narrower retinal arteriolar caliber, as measured from retinal photographs, was associated with increased left ventricular concentric remodeling, as determined from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, even after factoring the effect of conventional cardiovascular risk factors and coronary calcification. Our finding suggests that microvascular disease may contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiac remodeling, a potential precursor of heart failure.