M Esther Sanchez-Garcia1, Irene Ramirez-Lara1, Francisco Gomez-Delgado1, Elena M Yubero-Serrano1, Ana Leon-Acuña1, Carmen Marin1, Juan F Alcala-Diaz1, Antonio Camargo1, Javier Lopez-Moreno1, Pablo Perez-Martinez1, Francisco José Tinahones2, Jose M Ordovas3, Javier Caballero4, Angeles Blanco-Molina1, Jose Lopez-Miranda5, Javier Delgado-Lista1. 1. Unidad de Lípidos y Arterosclerosis, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, España; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España. 2. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España; Laboratorio de Investigación Biomédica, Departamento de Endocrinología, Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Málaga, España. 3. Departamento de Epidemiología Cardiovascular y Genética Poblacional, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, España; IMDEA Alimentación, Madrid, España; Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory, JM-USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, Estados Unidos. 4. Laboratorio de Bioquímica, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España. 5. Unidad de Lípidos y Arterosclerosis, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, España; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España. Electronic address: jlopezmir@uco.es.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Microcirculation disturbances have been associated to most of the cardiovascular risk factors as well as to multiple inflammatory diseases. However, whether these abnormalities are specifically augmented in patients with coronary heart disease is still unknown. We aimed to evaluate if there is a relationship between the presence of coronary heart disease and the existence of functional and structural capillary abnormalities evaluated in the cutaneous microcirculation by videocapillaroscopy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two matched samples of 30 participants with and without coronary heart disease but with similar clinical and anthropometric characteristics were evaluated by videocapillaroscopy at the dorsal skin of the third finger of the non-dominant hand. We calculated basal capillary density as well as capillary density after a period of arterial and venous occlusion in order to evaluate functionality and maximum capillary density. We also measured capillary recruitment. RESULTS: Microvascular capillary density at rest was significantly lower in patients suffering from coronary heart disease than in controls. This fact was also found after dynamic tests (arterial and venous occlusion), suggesting functional impairments. Capillary recruitment of the samples was not different in our sample. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, patients with coronary heart disease exhibit functional and structural microvascular disturbances. Although this is a very preliminary study, these findings open the door for further studying the microvascular functionality in coronary patients and how it relates to the response to treatment and/or the prognosis of the disease.
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Microcirculation disturbances have been associated to most of the cardiovascular risk factors as well as to multiple inflammatory diseases. However, whether these abnormalities are specifically augmented in patients with coronary heart disease is still unknown. We aimed to evaluate if there is a relationship between the presence of coronary heart disease and the existence of functional and structural capillary abnormalities evaluated in the cutaneous microcirculation by videocapillaroscopy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two matched samples of 30 participants with and without coronary heart disease but with similar clinical and anthropometric characteristics were evaluated by videocapillaroscopy at the dorsal skin of the third finger of the non-dominant hand. We calculated basal capillary density as well as capillary density after a period of arterial and venous occlusion in order to evaluate functionality and maximum capillary density. We also measured capillary recruitment. RESULTS: Microvascular capillary density at rest was significantly lower in patients suffering from coronary heart disease than in controls. This fact was also found after dynamic tests (arterial and venous occlusion), suggesting functional impairments. Capillary recruitment of the samples was not different in our sample. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, patients with coronary heart disease exhibit functional and structural microvascular disturbances. Although this is a very preliminary study, these findings open the door for further studying the microvascular functionality in coronary patients and how it relates to the response to treatment and/or the prognosis of the disease.