Complete Blood Count and Retinal Vessel Calibers

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2014 Jul 19

PMID 25036459

Citations 16

Authors

Gerald Liew

Jie Jin Wang

Elena Rochtchina

Tien Yin Wong

Paul Mitchell

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: The influence of hematological indices such as complete blood count on microcirculation is poorly understood. Retinal microvasculature can be directly visualized and vessel calibers are associated with a range of ocular and systemic diseases. We examined the association of complete blood count with retinal vessel calibers.

Methods: Cross-sectional population-based Blue Mountains Eye Study, n = 3009, aged 49+ years. Complete blood count was measured from fasting blood samples taken at baseline examination, 1992-4. Retinal arteriolar and venular calibers were measured from digitized retinal photographs using a validated semi-automated computer program.

Results: All analyses adjusted for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and fellow vessel caliber. Higher hematocrit, white cell count and platelet count were associated with narrower arteriolar caliber (p = 0.02, 0.03 and 0.001 respectively), while higher hemoglobin, hematocrit, red cell count, white cell count and platelet count were associated with wider venular caliber (p<0.0001 for all). Each quintile increase in hematocrit, white cell count and platelet count was associated with approximately 0.5 µm narrower arteriolar caliber; whereas each quintile increase in all of the complete blood count components was associated with approximately 1-2 µm wider venular caliber.

Conclusions: These associations show that elevated levels of hematological indices can have adverse effects on the microcirculation.

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Brazionis L, Quinn N, Dabbah S, Ryan C, Moller D, Richardson H Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2023; 261(8):2117-2133.

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