Selected Aspects of Optical Coherence Tomography and Adaptive Optics in Patients with Increased Body Mass Index

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate correlations between Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Adaptive Optics (AO) of selected retinal parameters in individuals with increased BMI (≥25.0), including a subgroup analysis for hypertension (HTN). Methods: Sixty-three patients (120 eyes) were assessed using AngioVue OCT and rtx1TM AO devices. Retinal thickness (RT), optic nerve head (ONH), ganglion cell complex (GCC), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and photoreceptor (cone) parameters-density, spacing, regularity, dispersion-were analyzed. Results: A negative correlation between BMI and RT in the parafoveal superior and inferior quadrants was observed. Higher BMI was associated with thinner GCC in the superior and nasal parafoveal regions. Additionally, age negatively correlated with cone density and regularity, and positively with cone spacing and dispersion. Numerous correlations were noted between GCC values in OCT and cone parameters in AO, consistent across both HTN and non-HTN subgroups. Conclusions: The findings suggested that AO may detect retinal changes earlier than OCT. Multimodal imaging provides valuable insights into early structural changes associated with elevated BMI. Long-term monitoring is recommended to evaluate the progression and clinical impact of these findings.