Mattina Alessandro, Geraci Giulio, Zammuto Marta, Maida Carlo, Giammanco Antonina, Nardi Emilio, Tuzzolino Fabio, Averna Maurizio, Cottone Santina, Mulè Giuseppe
Diabetes and Islet Transplantation Unit, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services, IRCCS ISMETT (Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione), UPMC, Palermo, 90127, Italy.
Unit of Internal Medicine, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Maternal & Infant Care, Internal Medicine & Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Policlinico Universitario Paolo Giaccone, Palermo, 90127, Italy.
Biomark Med. 2021 Sep;15(13):1155-1166. doi: 10.2217/bmm-2020-0829. Epub 2021 Aug 16.
Resistive index of ophthalmic artery (RI-OA) is associated with atherosclerotic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of RI-OA and hypertension-related vascular and kidney damage. Two-hundred and eighty hypertensive patients underwent evaluation of RI-OA, carotid atherosclerosis and level of 24 h albuminuria. Albuminuria and carotid atherosclerosis were positively associated with RI-OA independently of other cardiovascular risk factors. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis allowed us to calculate a cut-off value of RI-OA >0.625, which would be suspicious about the existence of atherosclerotic disease. The ophthalmic vascular circulation allows to study connections between macro- and microcirculation . RI-OA could be a useful marker for a better stratification of the risk of developing kidney and cardiovascular disease.