Retinal vessel analysis
Retinal vessel analysis is a non-invasive method to examine the small
Methods
There are two variants of retinal vessel analysis which are based on a special
Selected applications
Retinal vessel dynamics have the potential to serve as a tool for the assessment of risks in other organs since they are thought to reflect the general status of the microvasculature (i.e. the smallest vessels in the human body). The value of the examination with the Retinal Vessel Analyzer has been documented in a number of recent studies. There is growing evidence that in particular the dynamic vessel analysis is able to detect blood vessel damage - for instance as a consequence of aging or metabolic disease - in an early stage. Some examples:
In a recent publication, Andreas Flammer and his group at the Clinic of Cardiology at
Hypercholesterolemia is associated with significant retinal microvascular dysfunction as evidenced in a study based on 67 patients with hypercholesterolemia without known cardiovascular disease by a reduction in flicker-induced dilatation of retinal arterioles.[5]
Researchers from the Institute of Exercise and Health Sciences at the University of Basel demonstrated that cardiovascular fitness and body composition affect retinal vessel diameters which in turn give an indication of a person's cardiovascular health. One parameter evaluated in retinal vessel analysis, the mean arteriolar to venular diameter ratio (AVR), correlated with individual fitness and normalized in obese individuals after they underwent a training program and weight reduction. This was seen as an indication that regular exercise reverses the subclinical impairment of the retinal
In 2019, neurologists and ophthalmologists from Milan, Italy, demonstrated that arterial dilation was decreased in patients with manifest Alzheimer's disease and persons with mild cognitive impairment when performing dynamic vessel analysis. Since non-invasive and affordable methods for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease are scarce, the fact that alterations in vessel reaction could be detected in patients not yet clinically diagnosed was considered noteworthy. The study authors conclude that retinal vascular parameters may prove to be a useful biomarkers for these forms of dementia and to predict the disease progression.[7]
In a study with 276 diabetic patients, a reduced retinal arteriolar and venular dilatory response to flickering light in DVA in eyes suffering from diabetic retinopathy was associated with an increased risk of progression.[8]
References
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- ^ R. Heitmar, G.Y.H. Lip, R.E.Ryder, H.D. Blann: Retinal vessel diameters and reactivity in diabetes mellitus and/or cardiovascular disease. Heitmar et al. Cardiovasc Diabetol (2017) 16:56. DOI 10.1186/s12933-017-0534-6
- PMID 27682886.
- PMID 30807772.
- ^ Nägele MP et al.: Retinal microvascular dysfunction in hypercholesterolemia.J Clin Lipidol. 2018;12:1523-1531
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- PMID 30635610.
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