Decreased peripheral arterial volume distensibility in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion in comparison with normal subjects

This study aimed to quantify arterial volume distensibility in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) in comparison with normal subjects and to investigate factors associated with their differences. 40 normal subjects and 30 BRVO patients were studied. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured to determine arterial volume distensibility. In comparison with the normal subjects, after adjusting for pulse pressure, baPWV in the BRVO patients was significantly higher by 2.3 m/s (P < 0.01) and arterial distensibility was significantly lower by 0.015% per mmHg (P < 0.01). No subject in the normal group had an arterial distensibility lower than 0.04% per mmHg, in comparison with 67% (20/30) in the BRVO group. Arterial distensibility was significantly related to systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP) and ageing for both groups (all P < 0.05), but in the BRVO group, blood pressures and ageing had more prominent effect on arterial volume distensibility. Peripheral arterial distensibility has been shown to be significantly lower in BRVO patients in comparison with normal subjects. The more prominent effect of SBP, DBP and ageing on arterial distensibility indicates the potential underlying mechanisms of the interaction between higher blood pressures, ageing and BRVO disease.