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[The ocular fundus in ischemic cardiopathy]
M C Borgia1, E Leucci, E Ciarla
1Istituto di Clinica Oculistica, UTIC-II Clinica Medica, Università degli Studi di Roma, La Sapienza.
Insights
Retina vessel changes correlate with coronary artery disease. Eye fundus examination can indicate atherosclerosis in patients with coronary heart disease symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Cardiology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Retinal microcirculation alterations may reflect systemic vascular health.
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of mortality.
- Investigating non-invasive markers for CAD is crucial for early detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a correlation between retinal vessel abnormalities and coronary artery alterations in patients.
- To assess the diagnostic potential of eye fundus examination in identifying coronary pathology.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 103 patients was studied, including 63 with diagnosed coronary heart disease and 40 controls.
- Ophthalmic examinations (eye fundus tests) and coronary angiography (coronarography) were performed.
- Key cardiovascular risk factors (cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, smoking) were evaluated.
Main Results:
- A significant correlation was observed between positive findings in eye fundus examinations and coronary angiography.
- Negative eye fundus results did not exclude the presence of underlying organic coronary lesions.
- Retinal microcirculation changes identified via fundus examination were indicative of atherosclerosis in symptomatic patients.
Conclusions:
- Eye fundus examination serves as a valuable indicator for detecting coronary artery atherosclerosis in symptomatic individuals.
- The study highlights the potential of retinal imaging as a non-invasive tool for cardiovascular risk assessment.
- Further research can explore the integration of ophthalmological findings into cardiovascular screening protocols.
Background:
This work aims to correlate retina vessel alteration with the possible presence of coronary alteration in the same patient.
Methods:
For this purpose 103 patients have been studied. Of these, 63 had symptoms of coronary heart disease while the remaining 40 were used as a control. 29 patients, out of the 63, were also afflicted with angine while 34 had previously had myocardial infarction. Eye fundus tests and coronarography have been carried out, and risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking have been investigated.
Results And Conclusions:
This work shows that there is a close correlation between a positive eye fundus and coronarography alteration whereas a negative one is not incompatible with organic lesions. A positive eye fundus due to alteration of retina microcirculation can be indicative of atherosclerosis in symptomatic patients.