Microvascular dysfunction as a systemic disease: A review of the evidence

Microvascular dysfunction describes a varied set of conditions which includes vessel destruction, abnormal vasoreactivity, in situ thrombosis, and fibrosis which ultimately results in tissue damage and progressive organ failure. Microvascular dysfunction has a wide array of clinical presentations, ranging from ischemic heart disease to renal failure, stroke, blindness, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and dementia. An intriguing unifying hypothesis suggests that microvascular dysfunction of specific organs is an expression of a systemic illness that worsens with age and is accelerated by vascular risk factors.
Source: The American Journal of Medicine - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Review article Source Type: research