Medizinische Universität Graz Austria/Österreich - Forschungsportal - Medical University of Graz
Gewählte Publikation:
Salon, A.
Retinal vascular function in health and disease
Doktoratsstudium der Medizinischen Wissenschaft; Humanmedizin; [ Dissertation ] Medizinische Universität Graz; 2023. pp. 110
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- Autor*innen der Med Uni Graz:
- Betreuer*innen:
- Goswami Nandu
- Altmetrics:
- Abstract:
- Background: Diseases of the cardiovascular system pose the main reason for death worldwide. The improvement of prevention, and diagnosis, of these diseases, was a scientific priority for decades, however, their prevalence remains abundant. The continuation of cardiovascular research is therefore important and necessary to decrease their consequences. One of the most important tools for achieving this goal is a regular, quick, and uncomplicated health examination, which part should include the most recent approaches and techniques. Fundus imaging or non-invasive analysis of the retinal microcirculation is a globally recognized and innovative examination of an individual's cardiovascular health. The technique evaluates the features and parameters of retinal microcirculation as a reflection of cardiovascular changes in larger vessels. Such regular individual screening may pose an important tool to reduce cardiovascular disease and its consequences in the entire population. Methodology: The dissertation aimed to investigate alterations in parameters of retinal microcirculation in various populations of healthy people as well as patients with different diseases (outlined in the Aims and Hypotheses section). The twelve studies/projects (six healthy study samples and six different samples of patients) are partially included in this dissertation topic. The present cumulative dissertation includes and presents three of them (the population undergoing Light Therapy, the COVID-19 population, and the population undergoing Low Body Negative Pressure). The retinal imaging approach and MONA Reva software (version 2.1.1) were used to capture and analyse the retinal microcirculation over these studies/projects. All the data were analysed using SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27.0., Armonk, NY, USA: IBM Corp). Results: Significant reductions in the central retinal artery equivalent (CRAE) (p < 0.001) and central retinal vein equivalent (CRVE) (p = 0.002) parameters were observed when comparing light therapy and placebo conditions. However, the observed effect results may only reflect naturally occurring fluctuations in the microcirculation and not the effect of light therapy. A significantly narrower CRVE (from 240.94 μm, SD: 16.05, to 198.05 μm, SD: 17.36; F (1,17) = 7.681; p = 0.013) and a trend in the reduction of CRAE (from 138.87 μm, SD: 12.19, to 136.77 μm, SD: 13.19; F(1,17) = 3.810; p = 0.068) were found in patients recovering from Coronavirus disease 2019. Furthermore a significant increase in systolic blood pressure (from 142 mmHg, SD: 15, to 150 mmHg, SD: 19, p = 0.041), a reduction in heart rate (from 76 bpm, SD: 15, to 69 bpm, SD: 11, p = 0.001), and trend of increasing pulse wave velocity (from 11 m/s, SD: 3, to 12 m/s, SD: 3, p = 0.095) were recorded in this sample. The lower body negative pressure study did not show any significant changes in retinal microcirculation between the evaluated measurement points (−10, −20, −30, and −40 mmHg) or across the sexes of healthy individuals. Conclusion: In conclusion, the findings from these three studies collectively offer insights into the complex interplay between various interventions and physiological parameters. Overall, these studies underscore the need for further research to unravel the intricate relationships between interventions, physiological responses, and their clinical implications. These insights can lead to more informed healthcare practices as well as targeted interventions development to support and improve cardiovascular health in various contexts.