Vascular density with optical coherence tomography angiography and systemic biomarkers in low and high cardiovascular...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Cardiology
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a critical cardiovascular condition.
• Retinal microvascular changes may reflect systemic vascular health.
• Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCT-A) allows non-invasive visualization of retinal vasculature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare retinal vascular density using OCT-A between ACS patients and controls.
• To investigate the correlation between retinal vascular density and angiogenesis biomarkers in ACS.
• To assess the potential of OCT-A for identifying cardiovascular risk.

Main Methods:

• Retinal microvascular density was measured using OCT-A in 62 eyes of ACS patients and 42 control eyes.
• Blood samples were analyzed for angiogenesis biomarkers including angiopoietin-2 and osteoprotegerin.
• Statistical analyses, including ROC curve, were used to determine associations.

Main Results:

• ACS patients exhibited significantly lower inner vessel length density compared to controls (p=0.004).
• A threshold of inner vessel length density below 20.05 mm⁻¹ was moderately associated with ACS.
• Lower retinal vascular density correlated significantly with higher serum levels of angiopoietin-2 (R=-0.293, p=0.003) and osteoprotegerin (R=-0.310, p=0.001).

Conclusions:

• Reduced retinal vascular density, measurable by OCT-A, is associated with ACS.
• OCT-A may serve as a potential non-invasive tool for assessing cardiovascular risk.
• The correlation with specific biomarkers highlights the link between retinal vascular changes and systemic angiogenesis in ACS.