Is retinal vasculature change associated with risk of obesity? Longitudinal cohort study in Japanese adults: The Funagata study

Aims/Introduction:  To examine the association between baseline retinal vessel caliber change and prevalence, and 5‐year incidence of obesity in the adult Japanese population of the Funagata study. Materials and Methods:  Of 900 individuals (age ≥ 35 years) who underwent systemic and retinal examinations in the Funagata study during 2000–2002, 584 (64.8%) were not obese as defined by body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m 2 , and considered at risk of incident obesity. In 2005–2007, 454 patients returned for 5‐year follow‐up examination (52.9%). Incidence of overweight was defined as subjects who were not overweight at baseline examination (BMI < 23 kg/m 2 ), but overweight (BMI ≥ 23 to <25 kg/m 2 ) at follow up, and that of obesity as subjects who were not obese at baseline examination (BMI < 25 kg/m 2 ), but obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 ) at follow up. Results:  The prevalence of obesity at baseline was 35.1% (316/900); there was a cross‐sectional association between wider retinal venular diameters and obesity (adjusted odds ratio [OR] per +1 standard deviation (SD) change: 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.35) after adjusting for age and sex. Cumulative incidence of obesity between baseline and 5‐year follow up was 10.6% (32/303). Although the risk of incident overweight or obesity was higher in persons with wider retinal venular caliber, there were no statistically significant associations between baseline venular caliber and 5‐year incidence of obesity. Conclusions:  Although we found significant cross‐sectional associations of retinal venodilation with the prevalence of overweight, we could not confirm that retinal venodilation preceded the development of obesity in this population. (J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040‐1124.2010.00086.x , 2011)