The Absence of Typical Stroke Symptoms and Risk Factors Represents the Greatest Risk of an Incorrect Diagnosis in Stroke Patients.

Background: Stroke is one of the most misdiagnosed conditions that causes serious medical disabilities. Its early and accurate diagnosis by the emergency team is crucial for the patient's survival. This study aimed to determine the percentage of brain strokes incorrectly diagnosed by paramedic teams and to analyze the factors influencing incorrect diagnoses.

Early vascular damage in retinal microcirculation in arterial hypertension: the Czech post-MONICA study.

Unlabelled: Retinal microcirculation reflects retinal perfusion abnormalities and retinal arterial structural changes at relatively early stages of various cardiovascular diseases. Wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) may represent the earliest step in hypertension-mediated organ damage.Our objective was to compare functional and structural parameters of retinal microcirculation in a randomly selected urban population sample, in hypertensive and normotensive individuals.

Impact of type 1 diabetes and its duration on wall-to-lumen ratio and blood flow in retinal arterioles.

Background: Subclinical damage to both the small and large vessels may contribute to the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. Scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (SLDF), an established method used to measure retinal microcirculation, has been successfully applied in hypertensive and post-stroke patients.

Methods: Retinal microcirculation was assessed in 158 patients with type 1 diabetes and 38 age-matched healthy controls.

Evaluation of Morphological Changes in Retinal Vessels in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with the Use of Adaptive Optics.

Diabetes mellitus contributes to the development of microvascular complications in the eye. Moreover, it affects multiple end organs, including brain damage, leading to premature death. The use of adaptive optics technique allows to perform non-invasive in vivo assessment of retinal vessels and to identify changes in arterioles about 100 μm in diameter.

Hypertrophic remodelling of retinal arterioles in patients with congestive heart failure.

Aims: Analysis of microvascular parameters in the retinal circulation-known to reflect those in the systemic circulation-allows us to differentiate between eutrophic and hypertrophic remodelling of small arteries. This study aimed to examine microvascular changes in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and reduced as well as mid-range ejection fraction.

Methods And Results: Forty subjects with CHF underwent measurement of retinal capillary flow (RCF), wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR), vessel and lumen diameter, wall thickness, and wall cross-sectional area (WCSA) of retinal arterioles of the right eye by scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (SLDF).

Reference values of retinal microcirculation parameters derived from a population random sample.

Retinal microcirculation reflects retinal perfusion abnormalities and retinal arterial structural changes at relatively early stages of various cardiovascular diseases. Our objective has been to establish reference values for major functional and structural parameters of retinal microcirculation in a randomly selected urban population sample. A total of 398 randomly selected individuals from an urban population aged 25 to 65 years, resident in Pilsen, Czech Republic, were screened for major cardiovascular risk factors.

Relationship Between Ubiquitin-Specific Peptidase 18 and Hypertension in Polish Adult Male Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND Arterial hypertension (HT) is a leading cause of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 18 (USP18) has been recently described as a factor that prevents myocardial dysfunction. The present study measured serum USP18 levels in normotensive (n=29), isolated diastolic hypertensive (n=20), and systolic-diastolic hypertensive (n=30) male participants and correlated these results with biochemical parameters that are included in routine assessments of patients with hypertension.

Lumen narrowing and increased wall to lumen ratio of retinal microcirculation are valuable biomarkers of hypertension-mediated cardiac damage.

In the course of hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction develop very often and may progress toward heart failure. The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between abnormalities of retinal microcirculation and cardiac damage defined as left ventricular hypertrophy and/or diastolic dysfunction. The study comprised 88 patients with essential hypertension.

Retinal neurodegeneration in patients with end-stage renal disease assessed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) represents a reliable tool for retinal layer volume and thickness measurement. The aim of this study was to evaluate retinal changes indicating neurodegenerative processes in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) compared to healthy controls. This was a cross-sectional, single-center study comprising 32 ESRD patients and 38 controls.

Evidence of neurodegeneration in individuals with only mildly elevated blood pressure.

Objective: Initiation of antihypertensive drug treatment in low-risk individuals with grade 1 hypertension is under debate. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of mildly elevated blood pressure (BP) on early neurodegenerative processes independent of ageing.

Methods: Sixty-two individuals were included in this study: 25 young (aged <40 years) and 37 older (aged ≥40 years) individuals at low cardiovascular risk and grade 1 hypertension at most.

Epidemiological Survey and Retrospective Analysis of Infections between 2000 and 2017 in Warmia and Masuria Voivodship in Poland.

: Salmonellosis is a major foodborne bacterial infection throughout the world. Epidemiological surveillance is one of the key factors to reduce the number of infections caused by this pathogen in both humans and animals. The first outcome measure was the prevalence of non-typhoid (NTS) infections between 2000 and 2017 among the population of the predominantly agricultural and touristic Polish region of Warmia and Masuria (WaM).

Retinal capillary and arteriolar changes in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Rationale: Premature cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In animal models CKD has been shown to cause renal and extrarenal vascular remodeling and capillary rarefaction, but data in humans with CKD are sparse. Retinal arteriolar wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) is an established marker of early end-organ damage and there is evidence that arteriolar and capillary changes in the retinal circulation mirror those in the general and in particular the cerebrovascular microcirculation.

Retinal capillary rarefaction in patients with untreated mild-moderate hypertension.

Background: Microvascular rarefaction influences peripheral vascular resistance, perfusion and metabolism by affecting blood pressure and flow pattern. In hypertension microvascular rarefaction has been described in experimental animal studies as well as in capillaroscopy of skin and biopsies of muscle tissue in patients. Retinal circulation mirrors cerebral microcirculation and allows non-invasive investigations.

Retinal vascular resistance in arterial hypertension.

Purpose: Retinal microcirculation represents an easily accessible, non-invasive, in-vivo possibility to assess early microvascular changes. In addition to the assessment of functional (e.g.

Retinal Capillary Rarefaction in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Purpose: In diabetes mellitus type 2, capillary rarefaction plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of end-organ damage. We investigated retinal capillary density in patients with early disease.

Methods: This cross-sectional study compares retinal capillary rarefaction determined by intercapillary distance (ICD) and capillary area (CapA), measured non-invasively and in vivo by scanning laser Doppler flowmetry, in 73 patients with type 2 diabetes, 55 healthy controls and 134 individuals with hypertension stage 1 or 2.

Improvement in Retinal Capillary Rarefaction After Valsartan Treatment in Hypertensive Patients.

Decreased capillary density influences vascular resistance and perfusion. The authors aimed to investigate the influence of the renin-angiotensin receptor blocker valsartan on retinal capillary rarefaction in hypertensive patients. Retinal vascular parameters were measured noninvasively and in vivo by scanning laser Doppler flowmetry before and after 4 weeks of treatment with valsartan in 95 patients with hypertension stage 1 or 2 and compared with 55 healthy individuals.

Early Signs of End-Organ Damage in Retinal Arterioles in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Compared to Hypertensive Patients.

Background: Eutrophic and hypertrophic remodeling are major vascular hallmarks for hypertension and diabetes-associated microvascular end-organ damage in peripheral arterioles. The aim of this study is to compare retinal arterioles of diabetic, hypertensive, and healthy individuals.

Methods: Retinal parameters were assessed in 99 patients with T2DM, 158 hypertensive, and 149 healthy individuals.

Effect of aliskiren on vascular remodelling in small retinal circulation.

Background: In hypertension, changes in small arterial structure are characterized by an increased wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR). These adaptive processes are modulated by the rennin-angiotensin system. It is unclear whether direct renin inhibitors exert protective effects on small arteries in hypertensive patients.

Retinal microperfusion after renal denervation in treatment-resistant hypertensive patients.

Background: High pulsatile pressure and flow in the arteries causes microvascular damage, and hence increased cardio-, and cerebrovascular complications. With advanced stages of hypertensive disease, an exaggerated pulsatile retinal capillary flow (RCF) has been shown, but data about interventional effect are missing.

Methods: Fifty-one patients with true treatment-resistant hypertension (TRH) underwent renal denervation (RDN) using the Symplicity Flex(™) catheter and were followed for 12 months.

First experience in analysing pulsatile retinal capillary flow and arteriolar structural parameters measured noninvasively in hypertensive patients.

Objective: Increased pulsatile pressure induces as well as aggravates microvascular damage. Scanning laser Doppler flowmetry allows the noninvasive assessment of both retinal capillary flow (RCF) and arteriolar structural parameters of the retinal circulation. Moreover, pulsatile characteristics of the retinal arterioles can be assessed.

Effects of saxagliptin on early microvascular changes in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Patients with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk for microvascular complications. Early changes in microcirculation are characterized by hyperperfusion (e.g.

Local application of tropicamide 0.5% reduces retinal capillary blood flow.

Introduction: Scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (SLDF) plays an important role in the study of arterial hypertension, diabetes and stroke. The technology enables non-invasive measurement of the retinal capillary perfusion (RCF), retinal haemodynamics and arteriolar morphology in human. The values can be measured in mydriasis or in non-mydriatic eyes.