Background: Eutrophic and hypertrophic remodeling are major vascular hallmarks for hypertension and diabetes-associated microvascular end-organ damage in peripheral arterioles. The aim of this study is to compare retinal arterioles of diabetic, hypertensive, and healthy individuals.
Methods: Retinal parameters were assessed in 99 patients with T2DM, 158 hypertensive, and 149 healthy individuals. WT and CA of retinal arterioles (80-140 μm) were measured noninvasively and in vivo by scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (Heidelberg Engineering, Germany).
Results: After adjustment for values differing between the groups (age, BMI, gender, HDL cholesterol and serum creatinine, systolic office BP), patients with T2DM showed no significant difference in WT (14.2 ± 3), and CA (4199 ± 1107) in comparison with hypertensive patients (WT = 13.3 ± 4, p = 0.18, CA = 3862 ± 1546, p = 0.10) and healthy individuals (WT = 13.1 ± 3, p = 0.55, CA = 3864 ± 1216, p = 0.86). However, the subgroup of patients with diabetes duration of more than 60 months showed greater WT (14.9 ± 4, p = 0.04) and CA (4557 ± 1137, p = 0.02) than the hypertensive group and greater WT (p = 0.04) and CA (p = 0.03) than the healthy group, which is consistent with hypertrophic remodeling.
Conclusion: In the early stage of T2DM no hypertrophic remodeling was seen in retinal arterioles. However, hypertrophic remodeling was found in diabetic patients with more than 60 months duration of disease.
Keywords: diabetes mellitus type 2; hypertension; hypertrophic remodeling; retina.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.