Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate the association of macular microcirculation with renal function and the feasibility of using macular microcirculatory parameters to monitor renal function in Chinese non-diabetic patients with hypertension.
Methods
This case-control study included 62 non-diabetic patients with hypertension, including 31 with renal dysfunction (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <90 mL/min/1.73 m2) and 31 with normal renal function (eGFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2). Age, sex and clinic blood pressure were matched between groups. Macular microcirculatory parameters of 124 eyes of the 62 patients were evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA).
Results
In comparison with the patients with normal renal function, patients with renal dysfunction had lower macular superficial parafovea vessel density (18.6 vs. 19.4%, P = 0.029), macular cube average thickness (273.0 vs. 280.2 µm, P = 0.003), and average ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer (GCL-IPL) thickness (79.5 vs. 82.8 µm, P = 0.006), but similar macular central fovea vessel density and central fovea thickness (P ≥ 0.54). After adjustment for confounders, eGFR was significantly associated with macular superficial parafovea vessel density, cube average thickness and GCL-IPL thickness (P < 0.02). In detecting renal dysfunction, areas under the curve were 0.61, 0.66 and 0.65 for macular superficial parafovea vessel density, cube average thickness and GCL-IPL thickness.
Conclusion
In non-diabetic patients with hypertension, macular superficial parafovea vessel density, cube average thickness and GCL-IPL thickness were significantly worse in patients with renal dysfunction than those with normal renal function. Using macular parameters to monitor renal function is feasible.
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Data availability
All relevant data are within the paper. Anonymized data can be made available to investigators for targeted research based on a motivated request to be addressed to the corresponding author.
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Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the voluntary participation of all patients and the expert technical support of Beiwen Lv, Junwei Li, Yi Zhou (The Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Shanghai).
Funding
The present study was financially supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants 82370426, 82070435, 81970353), the Ministry of Science and Technology (2022YFC3601302), Beijing, China, the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (202340035, 20194029) and Shanghai Science and Technology Committee Project Foundation (21Y11909700).
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Xiao-Hong Liu: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Software, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Qi-Fang Huang: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Yi-Lin Chen: Data curation, Investigation, Resources, Software, Visualization, Writing – review & editing. Xin-Yu Wang: Data curation, Software, Visualization, Writing – review & editing. Yi-Sheng Zhong: Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing. Ji-Guang Wang: Conceptualization, Methodology, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing.
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Liu, XH., Huang, QF., Chen, YL. et al. Association of macular microcirculation with renal function in Chinese non-diabetic patients with hypertension. Eye 39, 734–740 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-024-03482-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-024-03482-7
