Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Evaluation of Capillary and Other Vessel Contribution to Macular Perfusion Density Measured with Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Published on: February 18, 2022
Signal Strength Variation Explains Apparent Exercise-associated Vessel Density Change on Optical Coherence Tomography
David Shin1,2,3, Victor Bellanda1,3, Oluwapeyibomi I Runsewe2
1Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic.
Background And Objective:
Retinal vessel density (VD) on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has been proposed as a biomarker in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This study evaluated VD change after exercise in HF-pEF, accounting for signal strength.
Patients And Methods:
Patients with HFpEF underwent 3 × 3-mm OCTA before and after a 6-minute walk test. Change in parafoveal VD in superficial (SCP) and deep (DCP) capillary plexuses was modeled with and without adjustment for signal strength index (SSI) and between New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classes.
Results:
Among 34 eyes (20 subjects), unadjusted DCP VD increased after exercise (1.27; 95% CI, 0.31 to 2.24; P = .010), more so in NYHA class III than I or II (difference, 2.39; 95% CI, 0.86 to 3.91; P = .002). SSI adjustment attenuated estimates to nonsignificance (overall, 0.48; 95% CI, -0.23 to 1.19; P = .19; NYHA difference, 0.75; 95% CI, -0.65 to 2.16; P = .29). SCP changes were nonsignificant.
Conclusion:
Postexercise VD changes in HFpEF were largely explainable by signal strength changes. OCTA analyses should adjust for signal strength to distinguish measurement artifact from true vascular differences.
More Related Videos
13:07Optical Coherence Tomography Based Biomechanical Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis of Coronary Atherosclerosis Progression
Published on: January 15, 2022
06:39Ultrasound Based Assessment of Coronary Artery Flow and Coronary Flow Reserve Using the Pressure Overload Model in Mice
Published on: April 13, 2015
Related Concept Videos
01:22Cardiac Output II: Effect of Stroke Volume on Cardiac Output
Preload
Preload refers to the initial elongation of the cardiac myocytes before contraction and is related to the volume of blood filling the heart at the end of diastole, or end-diastolic volume. The...
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...