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Heritability of retinal vessel diameters and blood pressure: a twin study

Taarnhøj, Nina Charlotte Bille Brahe ; Larsen, Michael ; Sander, Birgit ; Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm ; Kessel, Line ; Hougaard, Jesper Leth LU and Sørensen, Thorkild I A (2006) In Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 47(8). p.3539-3544
Abstract
Abstract
PURPOSE: To assess the relative influence of genetic and environmental effects on retinal vessel diameters and blood pressure in healthy adults, as well as the possible genetic connection between these two characteristics. METHODS: In 55 monozygotic and 50 dizygotic same-sex healthy twin pairs, aged 20 to 46 years, interpolated diameter estimates for the central retinal artery (CRAE), the central retinal vein (CRVE), and the artery-to-vein diameter ratio (AVR) were assessed by analysis of digital gray-scale fundus photographs of right eyes. RESULTS: The heritability was 70% (95% CI: 54%-80%) for CRAE, 83% (95% CI: 73%-89%) for CRVE, and 61% (95% CI: 44%-73%) for mean arterial blood pressure (MABP). Retinal artery diameter... (More)
Abstract
PURPOSE: To assess the relative influence of genetic and environmental effects on retinal vessel diameters and blood pressure in healthy adults, as well as the possible genetic connection between these two characteristics. METHODS: In 55 monozygotic and 50 dizygotic same-sex healthy twin pairs, aged 20 to 46 years, interpolated diameter estimates for the central retinal artery (CRAE), the central retinal vein (CRVE), and the artery-to-vein diameter ratio (AVR) were assessed by analysis of digital gray-scale fundus photographs of right eyes. RESULTS: The heritability was 70% (95% CI: 54%-80%) for CRAE, 83% (95% CI: 73%-89%) for CRVE, and 61% (95% CI: 44%-73%) for mean arterial blood pressure (MABP). Retinal artery diameter decreased with increasing age and increasing arterial blood pressure. Mean vessel diameters in the population were 165.8 +/- 14.9 microm for CRAE, 246.2 +/- 17.7 microm for CRVE, and 0.67 +/- 0.05 microm for AVR. No significant influence on artery or vein diameters was found for gender, smoking, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, or 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test values. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy young adults with normal blood pressure and blood glucose, variations in retinal blood vessel diameters and blood pressure were predominantly attributable to genetic effects. A genetic influence may have a role in individual susceptibility to hypertension and other vascular diseases. The results suggest that retinal vessel diameters and the possible associated variations in risk of vascular disease are primarily genetic characteristics. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
volume
47
issue
8
pages
3539 - 3544
publisher
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:33748095203
ISSN
1552-5783
DOI
10.1167/iovs.05-1372
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
74c90186-58ef-476d-8b06-03381d8d468b
date added to LUP
2019-06-13 11:08:08
date last changed
2023-06-08 04:28:36
@article{74c90186-58ef-476d-8b06-03381d8d468b,
  abstract     = {{Abstract<br/>PURPOSE: To assess the relative influence of genetic and environmental effects on retinal vessel diameters and blood pressure in healthy adults, as well as the possible genetic connection between these two characteristics. METHODS: In 55 monozygotic and 50 dizygotic same-sex healthy twin pairs, aged 20 to 46 years, interpolated diameter estimates for the central retinal artery (CRAE), the central retinal vein (CRVE), and the artery-to-vein diameter ratio (AVR) were assessed by analysis of digital gray-scale fundus photographs of right eyes. RESULTS: The heritability was 70% (95% CI: 54%-80%) for CRAE, 83% (95% CI: 73%-89%) for CRVE, and 61% (95% CI: 44%-73%) for mean arterial blood pressure (MABP). Retinal artery diameter decreased with increasing age and increasing arterial blood pressure. Mean vessel diameters in the population were 165.8 +/- 14.9 microm for CRAE, 246.2 +/- 17.7 microm for CRVE, and 0.67 +/- 0.05 microm for AVR. No significant influence on artery or vein diameters was found for gender, smoking, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, or 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test values. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy young adults with normal blood pressure and blood glucose, variations in retinal blood vessel diameters and blood pressure were predominantly attributable to genetic effects. A genetic influence may have a role in individual susceptibility to hypertension and other vascular diseases. The results suggest that retinal vessel diameters and the possible associated variations in risk of vascular disease are primarily genetic characteristics.}},
  author       = {{Taarnhøj, Nina Charlotte Bille Brahe and Larsen, Michael and Sander, Birgit and Kyvik, Kirsten Ohm and Kessel, Line and Hougaard, Jesper Leth and Sørensen, Thorkild I A}},
  issn         = {{1552-5783}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{3539--3544}},
  publisher    = {{Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Inc.}},
  series       = {{Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science}},
  title        = {{Heritability of retinal vessel diameters and blood pressure: a twin study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1167/iovs.05-1372}},
  doi          = {{10.1167/iovs.05-1372}},
  volume       = {{47}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}