Hypertensive Retinopathy and All-Cause Mortality in Older Adults of Amerindian Ancestry. A Population-based Longitudinal Prospective Study

Introduction Hypertensive retinopathy (HTRP) predicts all-cause mortality in Asian and Caucasian populations. However, little is known about HTRP impact in other ethnic groups. Aim We sought to estimate the mortality risk according to HTRP severity in older adults of Amerindian ancestry living in rural Ecuador. Methods This prospective study enrolled individuals aged >= 60 years with baseline blood pressure >= 120/>= 80 mmHg from the ongoing Atahualpa Project cohort who received retinal photographs (for HTRP grading) and a brain MRI. We ascertained all-cause mortality after a mean of 5.2 +/- 1.2 years of follow-up. Cox-proportional hazards models adjusted for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, neuroimaging signatures of cerebral small vessel disease, blood pressure determinations during follow-up and incident strokes, were obtained to estimate mortality risk according to HTRP severity. Results Analysis included 236 participants (mean age 69.3 +/- 7.3 years). HTRP Grade 2 or higher was determined in 42 (18%) individuals. Fifty participants (21%) died during the follow-up, resulting in an overall unadjusted crude mortality rate of 4.1 per 100 person-years. Mortality rate in subjects with HTRP Grade 2 or higher was 7.2 and in those with no HTRP or Grade 1 only was 3.4 per 100 person-years. An adjusted Cox-proportional hazard model showed that individuals with HTRP Grade 2 or higher maintained a greater than two-fold mortality risk (HR 2.08; 95% C.I. 1.04-4.15; p = 0.038) when compared to those with no HTRP or Grade 1 only. Conclusion Study results show that HTRP severity predicts mortality in this population of older adults.