Associations between cardiac target organ damage and microvascular dysfunction: the role of blood pressure

Abstract

An abnormal microcirculatory cutaneous peak flow response following ischaemia is associated with adverse cardiac remodelling, independent of CVD risk factors including blood pressure.

Reduced systemic microvascular density and reactivity in individuals with early onset coronary artery disease

“…Capillary rarefaction appears to be related to end-organ damage, as suggested by the association between hypertensive myocardial disease and reduced myocardial capillary density (Strauer, 1990), as well as by that between left ventricular hypertrophy and skin microcirculatory dysfunction independent of blood pressure levels (Strain et al, 2010). In fact, capillary rarefaction at the level of nutritive capillary beds provokes impaired tissue perfusion and seems to be involved in endorgan damage and its complications, which involve several tissues and vascular beds, including the eye (retinopathy), the brain (lacunar stroke), the kidneys (microalbuminuria) and the heart (cardiac failure) (De Boer et al, 2012;Levy et al, 2008).…”

Attenuated Systemic Microvascular Function in Men with Coronary Artery Disease is Associated with Angina but not Explained by Atherosclerosis

“…However, they do not correlate well with measurements of large artery [6], or resistance artery function as measured by flow-mediated forearm blood flow [2,3]. Skin microvascular dysfunction has been correlated with hypertension [5], microalbuminuria [26], increased interventricular septal thickness [28], adverse left ventricular remodelling [27], and diabetes [29]. We have recently described attenuated skin microvascular function in men with symptomatic coronary artery disease recruited DOI: 10.1111/micc.12066 Original Article from a cardiology clinic compared to a general population sample with no history of angina [30].…”

Severe OSAS causes systemic microvascular dysfunction: Clinical evaluation of ninety‐eight OSAS patients

“…Also, the relationship between left ventricular hypertrophy, which is independent of blood pressure levels, and skin microcirculation was demonstrated. 7 In fact, capillary rarefaction at the level of capillary bed provokes tissue perfusion injury and causes and end-organ damage.…”