Evaluation of choroidal thickness via enhanced depth-imaging optical coherence tomography in patients with systemic hypertension

PURPOSE: The purpose was to evaluate choroidal thickness via spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and to compare the data with those of 24-h blood pressure monitoring, elastic features of the aorta, and left ventricle systolic functions, in patients with systemic hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a case-control, cross-sectional prospective study. A total of 116 patients with systemic hypertension, and 116 healthy controls over 45 years of age, were included. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) was measured using a Heidelberg SD-OCT platform operating in the enhanced depth imaging mode. Patients were also subjected to 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and standard transthoracic echocardiography (STTE). Patients were divided into dippers and nondippers using ABPM data and those with or without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH+ and LVH-) based on STTE data. The elastic parameters of the aorta, thus aortic strain (AoS), the beta index (BI), aortic distensibility (AoD), and the left ventricular mass index (LVMI), were calculated from STTE data. RESULTS: No significant difference in SFCT was evident between patients and controls (P ≤ 0.611). However, a significant negative correlation was evident between age and SFCT in both groups (r = −0.66/−0.56, P ≤ 0.00). No significant SFCT difference was evident between the dipper and nondipper groups (P ≤ 0.67), or the LVH (+) and LVH (-) groups (P ≤ 0.84). No significant correlation was evident between SFCT and any of AoS, BI, AoD, or LVMI. DISCUSSION: The choroid is affected by atrophic changes associated with aging. Even in the presence of comorbid risk factors including LVH and arterial stiffness, systemic hypertension did not affect SFCT.