Dataset Information

Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. A community-based, observational study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To examine whether an abnormally thin retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) is associated with cerebrovascular insufficiency.

Design

Community-based study.

Methods

The Asymptomatic Polyvascular Abnormalities in Community Study included Chinese aged 40+ years and without histories of cerebrovascular incidents or coronary heart disease. Using transcranial Doppler and carotid duplex ultrasound examination, we assessed presence and degree of an intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) and extracranial carotid arterial stenosis (ECAS) and we measured the RNFL thickness by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Results

The study included 3,376 participants with a mean age of 54.3±10.3 years. Thinner RNFL was significantly correlated with a higher prevalence of ECAS (P = 0.035; standardized regression coefficient beta:-0.04; non-standardized regression coefficient B:-0.99; 95% confidence intervals(CI):-1.90,-0.07), after adjusting for age (P<0.001;beta:-0.25;B:-0.26;95%CI:-0.30,-0.22), gender (P = 0.001;beta:-0.07;B:-1.36;95%CI:-2.14,-0.58) and blood concentration of low-density lipoproteins (P = 0.03;beta:0.04;B:0.52;95%CI:0.05,0.98). In a reverse manner, prevalence of ECAS was associated with a thinner RNFL thickness (P = 0.007; odds ratio (OR):0.99; 95%CI:0.98,0.99) after adjusting for older age (P<0.001;OR:1.06;95%CI:10.05,10.7), higher prevalence of ICAS (P = 0.01;OR:1.34;95%CI:1.07,1.69) and higher prevalence of carotid artery plaques (P<0.001;OR:9.18;95%CI:6.93,12.2), and higher blood concentration of total cholesterol (P = 0.03;OR:1.12;95%CI:1.01,1.23). In univariate analysis, an increasing degree of ECAS was significantly correlated with a thinner RNFL.

Conclusions

Higher prevalence and degree of ECAS were correlated with thinner RNFL and vice versa. Patients with abnormally thin RNFL without ocular disease may undergo carotid artery examination to detect asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis. Examination of the RNFL is useful for the diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease.

SUBMITTER: Wang D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5426666 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. A community-based, observational study.

Wang Dandan D Li Yang Y Zhou Yong Y Jin Cheng C Zhao Qi Q Wang Anxin A Wu Shouling S Wei Wen Bin WB Zhao Xingquan X Jonas Jost B JB

PloS one 20170511 5

<h4>Purpose</h4>To examine whether an abnormally thin retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) is associated with cerebrovascular insufficiency.<h4>Design</h4>Community-based study.<h4>Methods</h4>The Asymptomatic Polyvascular Abnormalities in Community Study included Chinese aged 40+ years and without histories of cerebrovascular incidents or coronary heart disease. Using transcranial Doppler and carotid duplex ultrasound examination, we assessed presence and degree of an intracranial arterial stenosis ...[more]

PMID: 28493931

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Project description:PURPOSE:To investigate the role of sex on retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness at 768 circumpapillary locations based on OCT findings. DESIGN:Population-based cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS:We investigated 5646 eyes of 5646 healthy participants from the Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases (LIFE)-Adult Study of a predominantly white population. METHODS:All participants underwent standardized systemic assessments and ocular imaging. Circumpapillary RNFL (cRNFL) thickness was measured at 768 points equidistant from the optic nerve head using spectral-domain OCT (Spectralis; Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany). To control ocular magnification effects, the true scanning radius was estimated by scanning focus. Student t test was used to evaluate sex differences in cRNFL thickness globally and at each of the 768 locations. Multivariable linear regression and analysis of variance were used to evaluate individual contributions of various factors to cRNFL thickness variance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Difference in cRNFL thickness between males and females. RESULTS:Our population consisted of 54.8% females. The global cRNFL thickness was 1 ?m thicker in females (P < 0.001). However, detailed analysis at each of the 768 locations revealed substantial location specificity of the sex effects, with RNFL thickness difference ranging from -9.98 to +8.00 ?m. Females showed significantly thicker RNFLs in the temporal, superotemporal, nasal, inferonasal, and inferotemporal regions (43.6% of 768 locations), whereas males showed significantly thicker RNFLs in the superior region (13.2%). The results were similar after adjusting for age, body height, and scanning radius. The superotemporal and inferotemporal RNFL peaks shifted temporally in females by 2.4° and 1.9°, respectively. On regions with significant sex effects, sex explained more RNFL thickness variance than age, whereas the major peak locations and interpeak angle explained most of the RNFL thickness variance unexplained by sex. CONCLUSIONS:Substantial sex effects on cRNFL thickness were found at 56.8% of all 768 circumpapillary locations, with specific patterns for different sectors. Over large regions, sex was at least as important in explaining the cRNFL thickness variance as was age, which is well established to have a substantial impact on cRNFL thickness. Including sex in the cRNFL thickness norm could therefore improve glaucoma diagnosis and monitoring.

Dataset Information

Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. A community-based, observational study.

Purpose

Design

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. A community-based, observational study.

Similar Datasets

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