ArticleBMC nephrology2021
Investigation of associations between retinal microvascular parameters and albuminuria in UK Biobank: a cross-sectional case-control study.
Article in BMC nephrology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed.
- Deep Learning-Derived Retinal Vascular Morphology and Incident Treatment for Sight-Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy.Ophthalmology science · 2026Article
- Review
- Review
- Albuminuria, kidney function, and automatically quantified retinal vascular phenotypes in hospitalized adults with type 2 diabetes.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Article
- Retinal OCTA parameters and the risk of worsening kidney function in patients with type 2 diabetes: a longitudinal cohort study.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Article
- Exploring the Relationship Between Refractive Errors and Common Chronic Diseases Via Blood Biochemistry Tests: A Large Prospective Cohort Study.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2024Article
- Accumulation of Microvascular Target Organ Damage in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients Is Associated with Increased Cardiovascular Risk.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Retinal vessel caliber and cognitive performance: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA).Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Retinal nerve fiber layer defects and chronic kidney disease: the Kailuan Eye Study.International journal of ophthalmology · 2024Article
- Evaluating the potential of retinal photography in chronic kidney disease detection: a review.PeerJ · 2024Review
- The automatic detection of diabetic kidney disease from retinal vascular parameters combined with clinical variables using artificial intelligence in type-2 diabetes patients.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2023Article
- Association of Obesity Indices with Diabetic Kidney Disease and Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes: A Real-World Study.Journal of diabetes research · 2023Article
- Association of retinal fractal dimension and vessel tortuosity with impaired renal function among healthy Chinese adults.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- An Overview of Vascular Dysfunction and Determinants: The Case of Children of African Ancestry.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAssociations between microvascular variation and chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been reported previously. Non-invasive retinal fundus imaging enables evaluation of the microvascular network and may offer insight to systemic risk associated with CKD.
methodsRetinal microvascular parameters (fractal dimension [FD] - a measure of the complexity of the vascular network, tortuosity, and retinal arteriolar and venular calibre) were quantified from macula-centred fundus images using the Vessel Assessment and Measurement Platform for Images of the REtina (VAMPIRE) version 3.1 (VAMPIRE group, Universities of Dundee and Edinburgh, Scotland) and assessed for associations with renal damage in a case-control study nested within the multi-centre UK Biobank cohort study. Participants were designated cases or controls based on urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) thresholds. Participants with ACR ≥ 3 mg/mmol (ACR stages A2-A3) were characterised as cases, and those with an ACR < 3 mg/mmol (ACR stage A1) were categorised as controls. Participants were matched on age, sex and ethnic background.
resultsLower FD (less extensive microvascular branching) was associated with a small increase in odds of albuminuria independent of blood pressure, diabetes and other potential confounding variables (odds ratio [OR] 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.34 for arterioles and OR 1.24, CI 1.05-1.47 for venules). Measures of tortuosity or retinal arteriolar and venular calibre were not significantly associated with ACR.
conclusionsThis study supports previously reported associations between retinal microvascular FD and other metabolic disturbances affecting the systemic vasculature. The association between retinal microvascular FD and albuminuria, independent of diabetes and blood pressure, may represent a useful indicator of systemic vascular damage associated with albuminuria.
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