Association between Ophthalmological Changes and Cardiovascular Diseases in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Hemodialysis.

Abstract

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD) have a high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Arterial sclerosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of CVD. However, to date, there have been no reports of assessment of the association between retinal arterial sclerosis and CVD in patients with CKD on HD. The aim of this study was to assess retinal arterial sclerosis and to investigate the relationship between retinal arterial changes in patients with CKD on HD and arterial stiffness/past history of CVD. We examined the data of 44 patients (21 female, 23 male) with CKD receiving HD treatment at Saiseikai Kurihashi Hospital. The relationship between ophthalmological changes and arterial stiffness [pulse wave velocity (PWV)] or past history of CVD was evaluated. All medications being taken were recorded, and biochemical parameters were analyzed. Significant correlations were found between the presence of arteriosclerotic retinopathy [Scheie classification S grade (grade 0: 7 patients, grade 1: 18 patients, grade 2: 14 patients, grade 3: 4 patients, and grade 4: 1 patient)] and results of the evaluation of arterial stiffness (PWV) and past history of CVD (p=0.001, p=0.045). Other ophthalmological findings were not associated with a history of CVD or arterial stiffness. We showed that the classification (Scheie S grade) of retinopathy on ophthalmoscopic examination may be a useful tool for predicting arterial stiffness and its association with CVD.