Assessments of microvascular function in organ systems
Year: 2022
Type: review
Abstract: Microvascular disease plays critical roles in the dysfunction of all organ systems, and there are many methods available to assess the microvasculature. These methods can either assess the target organ directly or assess an easily accessible organ such as the skin or retina so that inferences can be extrapolated to the other systems and/or related diseases. Despite the abundance of exploratory research on some of these modalities and their possible applications, there is a general lack of clinical use. This deficiency is likely due to two main reasons: the need for standardization of protocols to establish a role in clinical practice or the lack of therapies targeted toward microvascular dysfunction. Also, there remain some questions to be answered about the coronary microvasculature, as it is complex, heterogeneous, and difficult to visualize in vivo even with advanced imaging technology. This review will discuss novel approaches that are being used to assess microvasculature health in several key organ systems, and evaluate their clinical utility and scope for further development.
Authors: Cynthia Xu, Frank W. Sellke, M. Ruhul Abid
Institutions: Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4220952158