Use of Doppler Sonography in Evaluating the Effect of Age in the Central Retinal Artery: A Cohort Study

Abstract

Intracranial arterial Doppler derived resistive indices (RI), peak systolic velocities (PSV), end diastolic velocities (EDV), and pulsatility indices (PI) have been shown to differ across age groups; therefore, the flow parameters in the central retinal artery (CRA) could also be expected to vary. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of age in CRA hemodynamics in a convenience sample of healthy men by using Doppler sonography. A total of 100 healthy adult male participants were recruited prospectively. Hitachi (HI VISION Avius) ultrasound equipment was used to measure the CRA PSV, EDV, RI, and PI within the right eye. Data were analyzed to determine velocity flow differences based on age. The results indicated that the CRA’s PSV and EDV declined with increasing age. The CRA’s RI and PI increased with age. Further research is indicated, specifically employing research designs that are statistically powered and use age matching, to generate clinically useful interpretations.