TABLE 2.
Associations of aortic and carotid stiffness with retinal microvascular diameter and flicker light‐induced dilation
| Arterial stiffness | Model | Retinal microvascular diameter | Retinal microvascular flicker light‐induced dilation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CRAE Stβ (95%CI) |
CRVE Stβ (95%CI) |
AVR Stβ (95%CI) |
Arteriolar dilation Stβ (95%CI) |
Venular dilation Stβ (95%CI) |
||
| Carotid DC, per SD | 1 | 0.11 (0.07; 0.15) | 0.03 (−0.01; 0.07) | 0.11 (0.07; 0.15) | 0.09 (0.04;0.13) | 0.03 (−0.01; 0.08) |
| 2 | 0.07 (0.03; 0.12) | 0.00 (−0.04; 0.05) | 0.09 (0.04; 0.13) | 0.03 (−0.02; 0.08) | 0.01 (−0.04; 0.06) | |
| 3 | −0.00 (−0.05; 0.05) | −0.00 (−0.06; 0.04) | 0.01 (−0.04; 0.06) | 0.06 (0.00; 0.12) | 0.04 (−0.01; 0.10) | |
| 4 | −0.00 (−0.05; 0.05) | −0.01 (−0.06; 0.04) | 0.01 (−0.04; 0.06) | 0.06 (0.00; 0.12) | 0.04 (−0.02; 0.10) | |
| Carotid YEM, per SD | 1 | −0.08 (−0.12; −0.04) | −0.00 (−0.04; 0.04) | −0.09 (−0.13; −0.05) | −0.05 (−0.09; 0.00) | −0.02 (−0.07; 0.02) |
| 2 | −0.04 (−0.08; 0.01) | 0.02 (−0.03; 0.06) | −0.06 (−0.11; −0.02) | 0.01 (−0.04; 0.05) | −0.00 (−0.05; 0.05) | |
| 3 | 0.02 (−0.02; 0.07) | 0.03 (−0.02; 0.07) | −0.00 (−0.05; 0.04) | −0.01 (−0.06; 0.04) | −0.03 (−0.08; 0.03) | |
| 4 | 0.02 (−0.02; 0.07) | 0.02 (−0.02; 0.07) | 0.00 (−0.04; 0.05) | −0.01 (−0.06; 0.05) | −0.02 (−0.07; 0.03) | |
| cfPWV, per SD | 1 | −0.11 (−0.15; −0.07) | −0.04 (−0.08; 0.01) | −0.09 (−0.13; −0.05) | −0.08 (−0.13; −0.04) | −0.04 (−0.09; 0.01) |
| 2 | −0.05 (−0.09; 0.00) | −0.01 (−0.05; 0.04) | −0.05 (−0.10; −0.01) | 0.00 (−0.05; 0.06) | 0.00 (−0.05; 0.05) | |
| 3 | 0.03 (−0.02; 0.08) | 0.00 (−0.05; 0.05) | 0.04 (−0.01; 0.09) | −0.02 (−0.07; 0.04) | −0.03 (−0.08; 0.03) | |
| 4 | 0.03 (−0.02; 0.08) | 0.00 (−0.05; 0.05) | 0.04 (−0.01; 0.09) | −0.01 (−0.07; 0.05) | −0.02 (−0.08; 0.04) | |
Standardized regression coefficient (stβ) represents arteriolar or venular dilation in SD per SD greater arterial stiffness. For the retinal microvascular diameter population 1 SD corresponds with 5.16 × 10−3/kPa for carotid DC, 0.34 × 103/kPa for carotid YEM, 2.08 m/s for cfPWV, 20.39 µm for CRAE, 31.07 µm for CRVE and 0.08 (no unit) for AVR. For the retinal arteriolar flicker light‐induced dilation population 1 SD corresponds with 5.14 × 10−3/kPa for carotid DC, 0.37 × 103/kPa for carotid YEM, 2.07 m/s for cfPWV, 2.82% for flicker light‐induced arteriolar dilation and 2.20% for flicker light‐induced venular dilation. Bold denotes p < .05. Model 1: crude. Model 2: age, sex, and glucose metabolism status; model 3: model 2 + mean arterial pressure and heart rate; model 4: model 2 + smoking status, alcohol consumption, waist circumference, total‐to‐high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, lipid‐modifying and antihypertensive medication, educational status.
Abbreviations: AVR, arteriole‐to‐venule‐ratio; cfPWV, carotid‐to‐femoral pulse wave velocity; CI, confidence interval; CRAE, central retinal arteriolar equivalent; CRVE, central retinal venular equivalent; DC, distensibility coefficient; SD, standard deviation; YEM, Young's elastic modulus.