Search

Purpose: Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are at increased risk of developing premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). The mechanisms behind this are not fully understood, but microvascular alterations have been documented in retinal arterioles and venules. The aim of this study was to use non‐invasive retinal imaging to investigate the structural and functional properties of arterioles, venules and capillaries in this patient group. Methods: We examined 27 women with previous HDP and 23 controls at 3 years postpartum. The retinal microvasculature was assessed by vessel calibre measurements, retinal oximetry and optical coherence tomography angiography. Differences were analysed using non‐parametric tests and multiple regression analyses, adjusted for age and body mass index. Results: Median arteriolar oxygen saturation (SaO2; 94.2% vs. 93.0%), venular oxygen saturation (SvO2; 60.1% vs. 62.4%) and arteriovenous saturation difference (AV‐difference; 32.8% vs. 32.3%) were similar across groups. Capillary vessel density (VD; 46.2% vs. 46.3%), skeletonised VD (VSD; 21.3 vs. 21.1 mm/mm2) and vessel diameter index (21.65 vs. 21.86) were also comparable. In the HDP group, mean arterial pressure (MAP) was positively correlated with AV‐difference (R2 = 0.209) and negatively correlated with arteriolar diameter (CRAE; r2 = 0.382). Conclusions: Structural microvascular alterations appear not to be key biomarkers for CVD risk after HDP as early as 3 years postpartum in otherwise healthy women. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether such changes occur later in life. MAP was associated with AV‐difference only in the HDP group, suggesting specific mechanisms affecting functional microvascular properties in these women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the contribution of retinal vessel density (VD), central retinal vessel diameter and retinal oxygen (O2) saturation independently of other known risk factors in the development of non‐proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). Methods: Macular optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), central retinal artery/vein equivalent diameter (CRAE/CRVE) measurements and retinal oximetry were performed in a cross‐sectional study of 166 eyes from 166 individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) aged 14–30 years. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to investigate whether O2 saturation, retinal vessel diameters and vessel density in the deep capillary plexus (VD‐DCP) were associated with NPDR, when adjusting for known risk factors. The individuals were allocated to one group without and one group with NPDR. Results: Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.04–1.49) and AV‐difference in O2 saturation (OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.77–0.93) were significantly associated with NPDR. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that age and lower AV‐O2 saturation difference contribute to explaining the grade of NPDR independently of other well‐known risk factors. Reduced delivery of O2 to the retinal tissue is associated with the development of NPDR in young patients with T1D and should be given appropriate weight in the risk stratification at early stages of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]