Authors : Rahul R. K.; Unni Raja B.; Aswathy H. V.; Aswathy M.

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 4 - April

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2m7zdf5a

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/bdajanmb

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26apr752

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Background: Retinal microvasculature provides a non-invasive window into systemic health. Subtle alterations in retinal vessel morphology, including tortuosity, haemorrhages, and microaneurysms, can signal early metabolic dysfunction and vascular toxicity. Within naturopathic medicine, such microvascular derangements are interpreted as a physical correlation of systemic “toxemia” and circulatory stagnation, bridging modern biomarkers with vitalistic diagnostics.  Objective: To examine correlations between retinal vessel tortuosity, haemorrhages, and microaneurysms with metabolic indicators such as HbA1c, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (BP) using the Comprehensive Multimodal Retinal Disorder Diagnosis (CMRDD) dataset.  Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 283,893 retinal examinations from the CMRDD dataset (Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust). Pearson correlations and multiple linear regressions assessed associations between retinal microvascular features and metabolic variables (HbA1c, BMI, Systolic BP, Diastolic BP). Significance was set at p < 0.05.  Results: Vessel tortuosity correlated positively with systolic BP (r = 0.42, p < 0.001) and BMI (r = 0.31, p < 0.001). Haemorrhage count showed a significant association with HbA1c (r = 0.47, p < 0.001) and diabetes duration (r = 0.38, p < 0.01). Microaneurysm count increased sharply above HbA1c > 7.0%, indicating capillary fragility due to glycol oxidative stress. Multiple regression identified HbA1c and systolic BP as independent predictors of retinal microvascular injury (adjusted R² = 0.51).  Conclusion: Retinal microvascular features provide quantifiable biomarkers of systemic toxicity, linking metabolic overload to microvascular degeneration. From a naturopathic perspective, these findings validate the doctrine that stagnation and toxemia manifest visually through peripheral circulatory distress, underscoring the diagnostic potential of ocular microvasculature in integrative systemic assessment.

Keywords : Retinal Biomarkers, HbA1c, Vessel tortuosity, Systemic toxicity, Naturopathy, Microangiopathy, Circulatory Stagnation.

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