The prevalence of hypertensive retinopathy in referral patients to hospitals of Yazd

Abstract Background: With Hypertension this clinical situation is the target organs including eye complications. The hypertensive vasculopathy can be directly identified on the retinal vessels by ophthalmoscopy. Objective: To determine the prevalence rate of hypertensive retinopathy in high blood pressure patients. Methods: 213 patients with hypertension were examined to determine the ophthalmologic stages of their retinopathy. Findings: In this study 213 hypertensive patients (95 males and 118 females) in age range of 25-85 years old (mean age: 64.4710.26 years), mean duration of diagnosed hypertension 7.826.26 years and mean duration of medical treatment 7.325.46 years were evaluated. 39.9% of patients had hypertensive retinopathy which was more common in women (45.8%) than in men (33%). 47.8% of patients with positive family history and 31% with negative family history of hypertension showed hypertensive retinopathy. 25.3% of patients with mild hypertension (HTN), 34.5% with moderate HTN and 84.6% with severe HTN suffered from hypertensive retinopathy. 42.36% of patients with hypertensive retinopathy were classified as grade I, 35.29% as grade II, 20% as grade III and 2.35% as grade IV. The most common ophthalmoscopic findings in hypertensive retinopathy were: arteriole narrowing (35.13%), AV nicking (17.12%) and cotton wool patch (9%). Conclusion: Early diagnosis and control of high blood pressure prevents ocular and other target organ hypertension complications. Positive family history of hypertension and also hypertensive complications of target organs especially cerebrovascular are risk factors for hypertensive retinopathy.