Randomized 20-year infancy-onset dietary intervention, life-long cardiovascular risk factors and retinal microvasculature.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Retinal microvasculature characteristics predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This study investigated associations of lifelong cardiovascular risk factors and effects of dietary intervention on retinal microvasculature in young adulthood. METHODS: The cohort is derived from the longitudinal Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project study. The Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project is a 20-year infancy-onset randomized controlled dietary intervention study with frequent study visits and follow-up extending to age 26 years. The dietary intervention aimed at a heart-healthy diet. Fundus photographs were taken at the 26-year follow-up, and microvascular measures [arteriolar and venular diameters, tortuosity (simple and curvature) and fractal dimensions] were derived (n = 486). Cumulative exposure as the area under the curve for cardiovascular risk factors and dietary components was determined for the longest available time period (e.g. from age 7 months to 26 years). RESULTS: The dietary intervention had a favourable effect on retinal microvasculature resulting in less tortuous arterioles and venules and increased arteriolar fractal dimension in the intervention group when compared with the control group. The intervention effects were found even when controlled for the cumulative cardiovascular risk factors. Reduced lifelong cumulative intake of saturated fats, main target of the intervention, was also associated with less tortuous venules. Several lifelong cumulative risk factors were independently associated with the retinal microvascular measures, e.g. cumulative systolic blood pressure with narrower arterioles. CONCLUSIONS: Infancy-onset 20-year dietary intervention had favourable effects on the retinal microvasculature in young adulthood. Several lifelong cumulative cardiovascular risk factors were independently associated with retinal microvascular structure.

Impact of fetal growth and preterm birth on the retinal microvasculature in mid-adulthood.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that preterm birth and being born SGA would be associated with changes in retinal microvascular architecture and that these changes would be more marked among those born preterm. We further hypothesized that these microvascular changes would correlate with early markers of CVD in mid-adulthood. METHODS: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study included randomly selected children from 5 Finnish University cities. Retinal microvascular architecture of participants born preterm, born at term and SGA and a control group born at term and AGA were compared (aged 34-49 years). RESULTS: In participants born preterm, arteriolar tortuosity (×10(2)) was higher-means (standard error), 0.06 (0.01) versus 0.04 (0.01), p = 0.001, arteriolar length (pixels) were greater-644.9 (35.9) versus 591.7 (33.5), p = 0.007 and arteriolar diameters (pixels) were narrower-19.9 (0.4) versus 20.3 (0.3), p = 0.034 compared to participants born AGA, after adjustment. In participants born SGA, only arteriolar tortuosity was higher-0.05 (0.01) versus 0.04 (0.01), p = 0.074 compared to participants born AGA. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that being born SGA and in particular preterm birth are associated with changes in retinal microvascular architecture. The prenatal and immediate postnatal environment may contribute to the mechanisms.

Cost effectiveness and cost utility of an organized screening programme for glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To assess the cost effectiveness and cost utility of an organized screening programme for glaucoma. The previous cost-effectiveness studies of screening show inconsistent results, and the cost utility of screening has not been assessed. METHODS: An organized screening programme was simulated using Markov modelling in a population aged 50-79 years at 5 year intervals. The programme ended when the subjects reached the age of 80 years. The comparator was opportunistic case finding. The main outcome measures were cases and years of severe visual disability avoided, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained and direct healthcare and non-healthcare costs. RESULTS: The incremental cost of 1 year of avoided visual disability by screening was euro32 602. The cost of one QALY gained by screening was euro9023 with a discount rate of 5%. During the average 20 year time horizon considered, the cumulative incremental costs of screening in a population of 1 million people would be euro30 million, producing 3360 incremental QALYs and 930 years of avoided visual disability for 701 persons. The results were sensitive to the estimates of several parameters, especially screening cost and specificity of screening tests (96-99% specificity required). CONCLUSION: An organized screening programme could be a cost-effective strategy especially in older age groups, in which screening is clearly more likely to be acceptable to decision makers at any level in terms of their willingness to pay for a QALY. Modelling includes some uncertainty especially concerning the specificity of diagnostic tests and screening cost.