Abstract
Purpose :
Electronic cigarette (e-cig) use in young adults has increased dramatically, the long-term effects of which are largely unknown. Acute impaired microvascular function and endothelial vascular dysfunction have been observed during e-cig use but chronic vascular effects of use remain underexplored, especially in the delicate and highly metabolically active retina where such effects might present earlier. We performed a cross sectional clinical observational study to determine if there are differences at baseline in the microvasculature and central retinal thickness (CRT) between e-cig users and age matched non-user controls using OCTA.
Methods :
We obtained 10x10 scan angle images of right and left maculae in 26 adult daily e-cig users and right eye maculae in 25 age matched controls using an OCTA integrated Spectralis SD-OCT tabletop system (Heidelberg Engineering, Germany). A customized MATLAB algorithm was used to calculate foveal avascular zone (FAZ), vessel area density (VAD), and vessel length density (VLD) for the superficial and deep vascular complexes (SVC and DVC). Spectralis software was used to calculate foveal, superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal CRT. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to assess variability of FAZ, VAD, VLD, and CRT parameters between groups and differential contribution of e-liquid concentration and years of e-sig use.
Results :
Images were acquired in 52 e-cig user eyes (n= 26, mean age 27.8 ± 6.72yrs) and 25 non-user age matched controls (n=25, mean age 28.04 ± 4.53yrs). FAZ, VAD, VLD, and CRT were measured in all 77 eyes. No statistically significant difference was found between users and non-users for FAZ, SVC VAD, SVC VLD, or DVC VAD. A statistically significant difference was found for DVC VLD (p=.0003), with e-cig users having a slightly higher VLD on average. Inferior CRT was significantly thinner in users compared to non-users (p=.012). E-liquid concentration significantly correlated with thinner inferior CRT in e-cig users (Pr>F .0408).
Conclusions :
Overall, no significant negative differences were found in the retinal microvasculature parameters between e-cig users and non-users. Decreased inferior CRT in e-cig users might not be clinically meaningful at this time but warrants further assessment of retinal effects as this population ages and continues to use e-cigs.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.