| Summary: | Abstract Retinal vessels are the only blood vessels in the human body that can be examined using non-invasive techniques. High-resolution images of retinal blood vessels and the optic nerve can be obtained, even without dilating the pupil. Retinal vessel diameters (RVD) can be analyzed using high-resolution images and RVD-measuring computer software, e.g., Integrative Vessel Analysis (IVAN). Many systemic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and atherosclerosis; brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease; and eye diseases like glaucoma have been found to have correlations with RVDs. This study evaluates the association between RVDs with retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness and optic nerve head (ONH) parameters in middle-aged Caucasians using three different imaging devices. Participants of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC), totaling 10 321 cohort members living in Finland, were randomized in the NFBC Eye Study, and 3 070 subjects (60% of the eye screening group) attended the eye examination. In addition to RVD, RNFL thickness and other parameters were measured using different devices: the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), and imaging device using scanning laser polarimetry (GDx). Significant relationships were detected between RNFL thickness, ONH parameters, and RVDs using HRT and OCT for measuring the RNFL and ONH parameters. Similar correlations were found between RNFL and retinal venular diameters only using GDx. There was a discrepancy in the RNFL thickness measured with different devices since these three imaging devices evaluate different entities and use various techniques to measure the RNFL thicknesses. Our study showed normal anatomical correlations between RNFL and RVDs, setting the normal values of those measures in middle-aged Caucasians. This finding may help in early detection of eye or systemic diseases with vascular or neuronal effects. Tiivistelmä Verkkokalvon verisuonet ovat elimistön ainoat verisuonet, jotka voi ...
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