To report the relationship between hypertensive retinopathy and associated target organ damage in Korean hypertensive patients.

A total of 519 hypertensive patients were divided into hypertension retinopathy grades I through IV based on fundus examination. According to the grade of each hypertensive retinopathy, the frequency of target organ damage (cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and retinal vessel occlusion) and the association with hypertension retinopathy were evaluated.

There were 211 patients (40.7%) without hypertensive retinopathy, 226 patients (43.5%) with hypertensive retinopathy grade I, 71 patients (13.7%) with grade II, seven patients (1.3%) with grade III and four patients (0.8%) with grade IV. The numbers of patients with cardiovascular disease were 103 (45.6%) in grade I, 57 (80.3%) in grade II, 3 (42.9%) in grade III, two (50.0%) in grade IV, and 70 (37.4%) in the non-hypertensive retinopathy group. According to four grades, the numbers of patients with cerebrovascular disease were three (1.3%), two (2.8%), zero (0%), and one (25.0%), respectively, with two (0.9%) in the non-hypertensive retinopathy patients. The respective numbers of patients with chronic kidney according to grades I through IV were 14 (6.2%), ten (14.0%), two (28.6%), and four (100.0%), as well as ten (4.7%) in the non-hypertensive retinopathy patients. The respective numbers of patients with retinal vessel occlusion were one (0.4%), two (2.8%), one (14.3%), and one (25.0%), with zero (0%) in the non-hypertensive retinopathy patients.

The significance of hypertensive retinopathy should not be overlooked in Korean hypertensive patients due to an association with various target organ damage.