Hypertension-induced retinal microvascular remodeling in women

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, yet its effects on the retinal microvasculature in women, independent of pregnancy and diabetes, remain poorly understood. METHODS: We integrated retinal imaging in female participants with structural assessments in hypertensive female mice to evaluate retinal microvascular remodeling. RESULTS: In women, higher systolic blood pressure was associated with reduced retinal arteriolar area and retinal thinning, independent of BMI or glycemic status. Women over age 50 exhibited greater retinal microvascular loss, suggesting age-related susceptibility. After adjusting for age, retinal arteriolar area remained significantly associated with hypertension, whereas venular area and retinal thickness were primarily associated with age. No significant age x hypertension interactions were observed for any outcome. In parallel, hypertensive BPH/2J mice displayed retinal microvascular rarefaction and reduced pericyte coverage compared with normotensive BPN/3J controls. CONCLUSIONS: Across species, hypertension induced rarefaction, arteriolar loss, and pericyte depletion, indicating impaired microvascular integrity. These findings support the utility of retinal imaging as a noninvasive biomarker of hypertensive microvascular disease in women.