Sprodhuber A, et al. - Researchers measured the density of retinal vessels from digitized fundus photographs in patients with recent stroke and age-matched controls. They also gauged if parameter retinal vascular density (RVD) served as a quantitative marker for cerebrovascular events. The significant risk factors for the decreased RVD were age and stroke. The additional significant risk factors in patients with stroke with respect to RVD were diabetes and arterial hypertension. Significantly lower values of RVD of –15% were seen in stroke patients vs age-matched controls.