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A Systematic Review on Whether Retinal Artery Microaneurysms Are Reliable Predictors of Coronary Artery Disease

Ameer A Khan1, Muhammad Saleem1, Munir Khan2

  • 1Cardiology, Tameside General Hospital, Ashton-Under-Lyne, GBR.

Cureus
|October 23, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Retinal artery microaneurysms (RAMs) show promise as a non-invasive indicator for coronary artery disease (CAD) severity. This finding could lead to new methods for cardiovascular risk stratification in the general population.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Preventative Medicine

Background:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of mortality in the UK, with increasing prevalence due to population aging.
  • Current diagnostic methods like coronary angiography are invasive and unsuitable for widespread screening.
  • Retinal artery microaneurysms (RAMs), a sign of microvascular damage, are detectable through non-invasive eye screening.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the literature and assess the reliability of RAMs as a predictor of CAD severity.
  • To explore the potential of RAMs as a novel, non-invasive screening tool for identifying individuals at risk of CAD.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines.
  • Eligible studies investigating the link between RAMs and CAD severity were selected and analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Preliminary evidence suggests a correlation between the presence and severity of RAMs and CAD.
  • RAMs may serve as a non-invasive indicator of underlying coronary artery disease severity.

Conclusions:

  • RAMs show potential as a non-invasive biomarker for assessing CAD severity.
  • Integrating retinal imaging into cardiovascular risk assessment could enhance preventative cardiology strategies.
  • Further research is warranted to validate RAMs as a reliable tool for cardiovascular risk stratification.

Keywords:
cad: coronary artery diseasepredictors of cadpreventive medicineretinaretinal artery microaneurysms

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