Correlation between diastolic function and fundus vascular features in coronary heart disease

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a significant global health concern.
• Cardiac diastolic function plays a crucial role in overall cardiovascular health.
• Understanding the link between cardiac function and ocular vasculature is important for comprehensive patient assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between cardiac diastolic function parameters and retinal/choroidal vascular features in patients with CHD.
• To determine if ocular vascular metrics can serve as indicators of diastolic dysfunction in CHD.

Main Methods:

• An observational clinical cohort study involving 206 CHD patients.
• Utilized Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and OCT Angiography (OCTA) for retinal and choroidal imaging.
• Echocardiography was performed to assess cardiac diastolic function.

Main Results:

• Positive correlations were observed between parameters like Left Ventricular End-Diastolic diameter (LVED) and retinal thickness.
• Negative correlations were found between the Early (E) to Early (E') diastolic mitral inflow velocity to mitral annular velocity (E/E') ratio and pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) with retinal thickness.
• Vessel density in retinal and choroidal layers showed significant correlations with diastolic function indices, including the E/A ratio and E/E' ratio.

Conclusions:

• Macular retinal and choroidal thickness, vascular density, and perfusion are potentially sensitive predictors of fundus circulatory disturbances in CHD patients.
• These findings highlight the potential of ocular imaging as a non-invasive tool to assess the impact of impaired cardiac diastolic function.
• Further research may elucidate the clinical utility of these biomarkers in managing CHD.