Retinal Vascular Caliber in Coronary Heart Disease and Its Risk Factors.

Background: Many clinical and experimental articles have suggested that the retinal vascular diameter can be used as a predictor of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the results and reliability of the prediction are still controversial.

Objective: A meta-analysis of observational study was conducted to clarify the relationships of retinal vessel caliber with CHD and CHD risk factors.

Method: PubMed and Embase were searched for all observational studies on the relationship of retinal vessel caliber with CHD and CHD risk factors from 2001 to 2021. The meta-analysis has been registered in PROSPERO (registration number is CRD42021267154).

Result: A total of 14 articles were selected for the inclusion in this meta-analysis. In the primary outcome, smaller retinal arteriolar caliber was related to CHD, and the results achieved statistical significance (MD: -5.55, 95% CI: -8.07 to -3.02, p < 0.0001), while there was no significant difference in vein caliber between CHD and healthy people (MD: 1.10, 95% CI: -3.55 to 5.76, p = 0.64 > 0.05). Smaller retinal arteriolar caliber was related to increasing age, male sex, bigger BMI, and hypertension. Bigger retinal arteriolar caliber was related to current smoking. Smaller retinal venule caliber was related to increasing age and hypertension. Bigger retinal venule caliber was related to current smoking, bigger BMI, and diabetes.

Conclusion: Smaller retinal arteriolar caliber was related to CHD, while there was no significant difference in venule caliber between CHD and healthy people. Retinal vascular caliber also independently related to CHD risk factors (e.g., age, gender, smoke, BMI, hypertension, and diabetes).