To highlight the influence of preocular and ocular vascular circulatory dynamics on the vascular density (VD) of retinal capillary plexuses (RCPs) and choriocapillaris (CC) in patients with and without cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors.
A retrospective observational study in patients with and without CVR factors (type 1 and 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia). Fluorescein (FA) and indocyanine (ICGA) angiography circulatory times were arterial time (FA _AT ), start (FA _startLF ) and end (FA _endLF ) of laminar flow, and arterial time (ICGA _AT ), respectively. OCT angiography VDs were superficial (VD _SCP ) and deep (VD _DCP ) RCPs and CC (VD _CC ) VDs. Correlation and regression analysis were performed after adjusting for confounding factors.
177 eyes of 177 patients (mean age: 65.2 ± 15.9 years, n = 92 with and 85 without CVR) were included. VD _SCP and VD _DCP were significantly inversely correlated with FA _AT , FA _startLF and FA _endLF likewise VD _CC with ICGA _AT . Correlations were stronger in patients without CVR than with CVR. CVR, FA _AT , FA _startLF and FA _endLF were more strongly correlated with VD _DCP than VD _SCP . FA _AT , FA _startLF and FA _endLF significantly impacted VD _SCP and VD _DCP , likewise ICGA _AT impacted VD _DCP . VD _DCP was most strongly impacted by FA _AT and FA _startLF .
Ocular and pre-ocular circulatory dynamics significantly impacted RCPs and CC VDs, especially deep RCP.