[The eye as a mirror of the heart-retinal findings in heart failure and cardiovascular diseases].

BACKGROUND

Due to its unique anatomical and functional characteristics, the retina represents a promising organ for the evaluation of systemic vascular diseases. Modern imaging techniques, particularly optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), enable noninvasive and quantitative assessment of retinal microcirculation. The aim of this review is to present current findings on the significance of retinal biomarkers in cardiovascular diseases, with a focus on heart failure.

RESULTS

Numerous studies show associations between retinal vascular changes and arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, and heart failure. Changes in retinal vascular parameters such as vascular density and perfusion density correlate with structural and functional cardiac changes. Patients with retinal vascular occlusions have an increased risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, and higher cardiovascular mortality. Initial studies in patients with acute decompensated heart failure have demonstrated changes in retinal vascular and perfusion density that can be reversed by recompensation. These observations led to the introduction of the term "cardio-ocular syndrome," which describes the interactions between cardiac function, systemic congestion, and retinal microcirculation.

CONCLUSION

Retinal imaging opens up new possibilities for the noninvasive assessment of systemic microcirculatory disorders in cardiovascular diseases. OCT‑A could contribute in the future to risk stratification, assessment of disease progression, and monitoring of therapy in heart failure.