BMJ  2005;331 (9 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7508.0

Routine funduscopy isn't justified in patients with hypertension

There is no evidence that routine funduscopy adds value in the management of patients with hypertension. In a systematic review, van den Born and colleagues (p 73) searched for studies examining the association between hypertensive retinopathy and blood pressure, hypertensive organ damage, and cardiovascular risk. Large interobserver variations in the assessment of retinal microvascular changes, low predictive values for the association between retinopathy and blood pressure, and inconsistent associations between retinal changes and cardiovascular risk all hamper finding evidence to support routine funduscopy in patients with high blood pressure.

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Relevant Article

Value of routine funduscopy in patients with hypertension: systematic review

Bert-Jan H van den Born, Caroline A A Hulsman, Joost B L Hoekstra, Reinier O Schlingemann, and Gert A van Montfrans
BMJ 2005 331: 73. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]