Microvascular rarefaction, the functional reduction in perfused microvessels and structural reduction of microvascular density, seems to be an important mechanism in the pathophysiology of small blood vessel-related disorders including vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) due to cerebral small vessel disease and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The subclinical cardiovascular structural and functional changes that contribute to long-term cardiovascular risk are unclear.

Endothelial insult and damage is one of the reported consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It has been associated with severe inflammation, thrombotic phenomena and profound hypoxemia in critically ill patients.

SARS-CoV-2 infection may lead to endothelial and vascular dysfunction. We investigated alterations of arterial stiffness, endothelial coronary and myocardial function markers 4 months after COVID-19 infection.

In this cross-sectional Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study, participant sublingual microcirculation was assessed with a newly developed GlycoCheck software (Microvascular Health Solutions Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah), which integrates red blood cell velocity within the smallest capillaries (4-7 µm) and feed vessels (>10 µm).

Heparin biocompatible coating frequently is used to reduce inflammation and blood coagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in cardiac surgery. Whether heparin coating is protective or damaging to the vascular endothelium is unclear. The authors investigated whether heparin-coated (HC) circuits are associated with better preservation of microcirculatory perfusion and glycocalyx dimensions compared with nonheparin phosphorylcholine-coated (PC) circuits.

Microcirculatory changes contribute to clinical symptoms and disease progression in chronic heart failure (CHF). A depression of coronary flow reserve is associated with a lower myocardial capillary density in biopsies.