Evaluation of optical coherence tomography in patients with coronary artery disease and systemic hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Systemic hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD) cause widespread vascular and neurodegenerative changes, including in the retina. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) offers a noninvasive means to visualise these changes, serving as a potential marker of systemic vascular health. Retinal layers like the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (p-RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) are especially vulnerable to vascular damage, making them useful indicators of cardiovascular risk. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the p-RNFL and GC-IPL thickness among hypertensive individuals with and without CAD and healthy controls.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective observational study included 140 participants divided into three groups: healthy controls (Group A, n = 40), hypertensives without CAD (Group B, n = 50), and hypertensives with CAD (Group C, n = 50). All subjects underwent comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation, including spectral-domain-OCT, to measure p-RNFL and GC-IPL thickness in both eyes. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance with a significance threshold of P < 0.05.

RESULTS: Both p-RNFL and GC-IPL were significantly thinned in hypertensive subjects, especially those with CAD. Group A had the highest mean RNFL (114.11 ± 10.09 μm) and GC-IPL (85.07 ± 2.30 μm), whereas Group C showed the lowest (RNFL: 84.90 ± 11.81 μm; GC-IPL: 105.97 ± 11.72 μm). Differences were significant (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: OCT can find early signs of retinal nerve damage related to high blood pressure and CAD, indicating it can be a helpful noninvasive method for checking and tracking heart health risks.