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A spectrum of retinal vasculature measures and coronary artery disease

Sarah B Wang1, Paul Mitchell1, Gerald Liew1

  • 1Centre for Vision Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Atherosclerosis
|October 21, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Retinal vessel measures, including fractal dimension (Df), correlate with coronary artery disease (CAD) severity. A sparser retinal network indicates more severe CAD, particularly in older women.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Cardiology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) assessment often relies on invasive angiography.
  • Retinal microvasculature may offer non-invasive insights into systemic vascular health.
  • Fractal dimension (Df) quantifies the complexity of vascular networks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively describe retinal vessel measures, including fractal dimension (Df).
  • To investigate associations between retinal vessel measures and coronary artery disease (CAD) extent and severity.
  • To explore links with hypertension and diabetes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Australian Heart Eye Study (AHES) on 1187 participants.
  • Quantified retinal vessel geometric measures (Df, curvature tortuosity, branching angle) using the Singapore 'I' Vessel Assessment (SIVA) tool.
  • Correlated retinal measures with coronary angiography-derived CAD indices.

Main Results:

  • Retinal vascular Df and curvature tortuosity decreased with age; women had lower Df than men.
  • Straighter retinal vessels were linked to greater CAD extent and severity (p<0.02).
  • A combined retinal score correlated with obstructive CAD (p=0.01), with lower Df and narrower branching angles associated with CAD vessel score (p<0.03).

Conclusions:

  • Retinal vessel measures, including Df, are associated with CAD extent and severity.
  • A sparser retinal microvascular network (smaller Df) is linked to older age and female gender.
  • Retinal vessel analysis provides a non-invasive window into the severity of coronary artery disease.
Abstract

Keywords:
Australian heart eye studyCoronary artery diseaseExtent scoreFractal dimensionGensini scoreRetinal microvasculatureRetinal vessel calibre

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